Damaged Garde
by DestinySilverrose17
Summary: They say things have to get worse before they get better. That phrase describes Riley's existence at the Academy. On top of being stuck with broken legacies on the outside the Resistance is pulling itself back together and her friends are out in the world being useful. They get to race EG to get a girl who's been evading them for eight years and has a most peculiar legacy.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"So we all in agreeance that there is no way she is a human Garde?" Malcolm questioned, turning away from his whiteboard. On it were all sorts of theories about the most recent target of the HGA. Otherwise known as Human Garde Academy.

"If you give me a little more time I'll get you an answer. I'm almost into her file." Lexa added.

Riley perched on a stool, arms on the island and her head rested on them. She smiled contently as her father stood behind her brushing her hair out for her. Malcolm grinned at the scene, she was still so easily appeased by simple things. Although given what they all had to deal with it was nice to just appreciate the small things.

"I got it!" Lexa exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air. She disturbed the blissful state Riley was in as Riley bolted upright. Then she yelped as the brush her father had got stuck in a tangle. Lexa snorted and held a hand over her mouth to conceal her smile. Riley rolled her eyes at Lexa and laughed.

"Alright, folks what did you find Lexa?" Nine inquired, resuming brushing his daughter's hair.

"Our teacher has a file because she was apart of project SRI," Lexa answered. Malcolm raised a curious eyebrow at her.

"And what exactly was that?"

"Space Rock Investigation. She was apart of the team that harvested the outcropping of Loralite crystals up in the Adirondack mountains back in 2015. The purpose was so that scientists could examine them in a laboratory." Lexa explained.

"That must've been happening right around the same time the academy opened." Nine commented.

"Wait how'd she'd go from that to being an art teacher at some private school in the Southern Tier of New York?" Malcolm seemed flabbergasted.

"How'd you go from the good graces of what college was it? I forget to head greeter of the Loric?" Lexa quipped, a mischievous grin playing on her lips.

"How?" Malcolm gave her a look in absolute awe.

"You forget that I know everything, Bill Nye." Lexa grinned. "Also her file is marked special notice because she is the mother of Casey Raya, leader of the rebellion. He is the second most wanted Human Garde." Lexa added with a smug grin.

"Glad to know Ceci is still at the top after all these years." Nine proudly chuckled.

"That just means no one has ticked them off as much as Cecilia has," Riley remarked cheerfully. Nine set the brush down and started braiding her hair.

"Riley only you have the legacy capacity to with enough training surpass Cecilia," Malcolm commented.

"I'll take that as a compliment." Riley giggled. Malcolm turned and frowned at his board.

"But how does she have legacies?"

"How about you contemplate it tomorrow in your free time." Lexa teased.

"Freetime? Remember I'm the target for tomorrow's games." Malcolm chuckled.

"At least we get out of afternoon classes." Riley grinned. Nine gave a hearty laugh at his daughter's commentary.

* * *

It was in chemistry class that the intercom went off. It interrupted Malcolm's lecture about the anatomy of the brain.

"Riley Worthington please report to the airfield."

Riley perked up in her desk at the announcement. She'd been doodling a brain that had arms, legs, eyeballs, and a mouth. Malcolm nodded and then winked at her. Her father must've gotten it approved. She quietly packed up her stuff and calmly left his classroom.

She took off down the hallway, navigating until she reached the entrance. She ran across campus in the direction of the airfield, pacing herself so accelix didn't kick on. She didn't stop until she was at the airfield watching a small luxury airplane land on the airstrip. She moved to stand with the three other students that had been called.

She bounced on her feet waiting for the craft to open up and reveal its passengers. After what seemed like an eternity they unloaded the craft. Two teenage girls first, which the three students Riley had been standing with approached, and then Mrs. Raya came out. The pilot held her arm gently and like a proper gentleman escorted her down the stairs onto the runway. He tipped his hat to her and walked off. Riley squealed in delight and ran to hug Mrs. Raya. She threw her lanky arms around the woman's neck and Mrs. Raya hugged her back. Once they broke apart Mrs. Raya frowned in confusion. "I'm sorry but why are you here Riley?"

"It's a very long story, Mrs. Raya." Riley sighed. But she winked at her when no one was looking. She and Mrs. Raya moved away from the airfield and more towards the academy.

_I got the crystal, where to?_ Riley thought. She reached out for Lexa's mind and hoped the message was received.

_Take her to your father's office. The board wants to meet with her. Highly unusual circumstances right now._ Lexa answered.

_Interrogation? Something to do with her involvement in that Loralite harvesting project?_ Riley questioned.

_I'll let you know in a bit. I have to attend as well. After dropping her off go bug, Taylor._ Lexa advised.

_What about lunch?_ Riley reminded.

_Go get lunch with Taylor then. Just stay with her until we're all done._ Lexa pressed.

_Got it, GUARD._ Riley chuckled.

_I thought you were cured?_ Mrs. Raya's voice echoed in her head. Riley

froze and looked at her art teacher in part confusion and part amazement.

"You?" She managed to get out.

Mrs. Raya nodded with a small smile. _I presume the answer is also a long story?_ Mrs. Raya mentally chuckled.

_We'll see how things work out and I might explain it. Don't let anyone know I have a legacy still._ Riley replied.

_I kept my promise when I first found out you had them and I'll keep still. Just be careful._ Mrs. Raya warned.

_You have no idea about all the precautions in place. _Riley sighed.

* * *

"Come on let me try next month. The peacekeepers will never see me coming" Riley laughed. They were back in the cabin after dinner getting ready to set to work.

"What's the phrase that Six uses?" Nine questioned, crossing his arms.

"Six has a lot of phrases. You'll have to be more specific." Malcolm quipped.

"I'd rather die at the hands of Setrakus Ra." Riley reminded with a smirk.

Lexa stifled a laugh while Malcolm rolled his hazel eyes. Riley saw him hide a frown as his eyes seemed to darken with fear. She inwardly sighed at the thought. She remembered being told that Malcolm was held captive by the Setrakus Ra for almost nine years. He'd told her himself about the torture methods, the tools, the memory extracting equipment, the comas, and that he has lost so much of his past as a result.

"Okay, ladies and gentlemen. Taylor is on her way with our latest addition." Lexa announced, tapping on her tablet.

"How's the cure going Malcolm?" Riley questioned.

"Still nowhere." Malcolm sighed, opening his laptop.

"Has our testing been helping?" Riley inquired.

"I'm sorry Riley but whatever your biology is doing I haven't figured out how it works or how to replicate it," Malcolm admitted.

"It's okay Malcolm. I still believe you'll figure it out." Riley beamed.

"Thank you, Riley. I hope your right." Malcolm nodded.

"The coffee and one art teacher with legacies." Taylor quipped, walking into the kitchen with a box of stuff to make coffee. Mrs. Raya walked in behind her and took it all in. She seemed in awe as she looked around the room.

"Welcome to the resistance, Mrs. Raya. We've got a lot of work ahead of us." Riley greeted, beaming at their newest addition.

"Trust me this part is a little boring but the next part will be a lot of fun," Riley reassured, holding her arm out for Taylor to take blood pressure.

Malcolm pricked Mrs. Raya's finger and put it into a machine.

"Taylor, when you're done, want to get me a vial from each of them?" Malcolm questioned, plugging his device into a computer.

"It would be my absolute pleasure to do so and heal the owie." Taylor chuckled.

"Every day?" Mrs. Raya questioned, giving Riley a baffled look.

"Everyday at six a.m. in the gym for lab testing and physical testing. We're working on finding a way to reverse the cure by examining my biology." Riley explained, flexing her arm as Taylor undid the cuff.

"Bp is normal," Taylor announced, typing into her tablet.

"Alright, who wants to have their blood sucked first?" Taylor questioned, pulling out a bag from under Malcolm's desk.

"I'll do it," Riley replied, practically bouncing on her feet.

"Someone's excited this morning." Taylor chuckled.

"That's partially because she can mimic two legacies at once for a time and also her favorite teacher is now here." Nine chuckled, sipping his coffee. He was leaned against a desk watching with an amused grin. Lexa stifled a laugh as she typed into a monitor. While Taylor was preparing to insert the needle into Riley's arm Riley frowned at her father.

"Hey remember our deal?" She scowled at his left arm. Nine choked on his coffee.

"Easy there Professor." Lexa chuckled. "Now surrender the arm Stanley or I will remove it for you." She teasingly threatened, holding out her hands for it. Nine rolled up his short sleeve and started working, fingers nimbly working on his shoulder. Much to Mrs. Raya's horror suddenly his left arm disconnected and Lexa caught it. She placed it on the table and chuckled at Mrs. Raya's face.

"What the metal wasn't a giveaway?" She teased. Mrs. Raya shook her head and regained her composure.

"I just never really thought about it." She seemed to stare at his blackened skin where his arm should've been. Nine smirked and let his short-sleeve fall back over, covering the blackened skin. "That's my battle scar. It usually freaks people out. Especially the government bigwigs." He mischievously grinned.

"Alright more samples will be taken later from Debra but we need to get to the sensors so I can get a feel where she is in the grand scheme of legacies." Malcolm suggested.

"Mrs. Raya." Riley corrected, folding her hands behind her back and leaning forward.

"It's okay you can all call me Debra now." Mrs. Raya shrugged. Riley seemed to almost frown at the thought as if it would be unnatural to call Mrs. Raya anything else but Mrs. Raya.

"Alright, Riley would you like to demonstrate for our new friend the sensors?" Malcolm questioned, turning away from his monitor.

"Bring it, Bill Nye." Riley grinned.

"Taylor?" Malcolm raised a dirty blonde eyebrow as he grinned. Taylor laughed and started applying the sensors to Riley's body.

"Alright, you know the drill, Riley." Riley proceeded to do two jumping jacks and giggled. She did her best Hulk impression, letting out a ferocious roar. "All her sensors seem to be responding excellently."

"Obstacle course?" Lexa questioned, dark eyes looking over her tablet.

"I thought we weren't trying to kill her this morning," Taylor questioned.

"Oh come on. At least let me make another attempt while Malcolm's running all his tests on Mrs. Raya. I can't fight the computer because they'll need the gym." Riley argued, lower lip sticking out as she crossed her arms firmly across her chest. Nine walked over to face her.

"The first sign of trouble,"

"You'll pull me out. I get it, dad." Riley finished.

"Be careful Ri." He tapped her on the nose.

"Taylor, you got Debra's vitals?" Lexa questioned.

"Go run the obstacle course." Taylor dismissed, waving her away. Riley squealed for joy and jumped up and down as she followed them. Riley ran down into the gym and headed for the obstacle course.

"How long until the malevolent AI housed in the obstacle course overcomes her?" Lexa asked, firing up the program.

"Oh come on she's my daughter I have faith she can outsmart the computer." Nine casually replied.

"Your terrified of letting her going in with legacy handicaps aren't you?" Lexa remarked, typing in commands for the program.

"Is it that obvious? I'm proud of my creation but it is merciless." Nine admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Just think, it's programmed to adapt to the player's legacies right? It might get confused with Riley." Lexa reassured.

"Aren't we all confused with Riley?" Nine sighed, walking over to the railing to watch.

Riley was bouncing on the tips of her toes waiting for the start.

"Go!" Lexa hollered, as the obstacle course came to life. Riley ran straight into it regardless of worry about what it was going to throw at her. Today it oozed grease onto the floor so she ran up the wall and ran along it. The wall started oozing grease next in an attempt to make her slip up. She jumped off that wall and her hands caught the edge of the opposite wall. She had enough time to regain balance before that wall was also oozing grease. She jumped onto the ground and kept on running. She was starting to sweat as she continued.

Rubber bullets started being fired at her from holes that had opened up in the walls. With a little bit of concentration, and biting her lip. She thrust her hands out and telekinetically stopped each bullet.

Just like it was programmed to do the walls started picking up pace attacking her, she flinched as several hit home when she couldn't keep up. She thrust her hands up and out, forcing herself to form a forcefield. She kept running through the course but she couldn't hold up the barrier and the bullets started cracking it until they broke through.

She tried another tactic with the machine. She imagined herself light as a feather and kept up the pace. She managed to turn a corner into the next section. The bullets just started passing through her. That's when the darts started up but they also passed through her.

She allowed herself to smile a little until it randomly started launching pillows at her. One caught her straight to the head and knocked her off her feet. The pillows were filled with rocks. Several darts landed on her and in a cry of rage slammed her hands onto the hard floor. The whole gymnasium shook from the force. It threatened to shake the gym apart until the sensors kicked in and put her in agony as her legacies were disabled.

Suddenly she felt a legacy breakthrough and she had all her legacies breakthrough. Someone was hollering at her but she just let out a raw scream as the obstacle course threw it's worse at her.

She never noticed the obstacle course shut down around her. It was all too much power at once for her as she laid there. Next thing she knew her father was next to her and he snapped something onto her wrist. Suddenly her body went into agony at the loss of her legacies. She groaned and curled up.

Slowly the world came back to her. Her father was looking at her in amazement. Lexa walked up to them and grabbed Riley's arm.

"Impressive, she burned the sensors beyond use. Lumen flare probably." Lexa seemed also amazed like she was at a loss for what just happened. They all walked back into the rest of the gym.

"What was that?" Taylor called down. They all walked back up into the observation deck. Mrs. Raya followed them up.

"That was definitely something new. Riley care to add any form of an explanation?" Malcolm pushed his glass up as he looked up from the monitor.

"I don't know what happened. I've never lost control like that." Riley sighed, rubbing her arm.

"She almost destroyed the obstacle course." Nine still seemed in awe. Lexa was over typing commands into the terminal controlling the obstacle course.

"She fried her sensors." Nine pointed out.

"Well, that's certainly new." Malcolm mused, examining the one on Riley's arm.

"Is this a sign that I'm breaking through the cure?" Riley inquired. Malcolm seemed to frown and turn back to the monitor.

"I don't know what that even was Riley," Malcolm admitted, shoulders slumping. Riley sighed and leaned against the railing.

"It was like every legacy she's mimicked rushed to the surface full force. She was overwhelmed and lost control. I've never in the past twenty-some years seen someone lose control like that though." Nine furrowed his brows as he looked at his daughter.

"Legacies respond to fear and danger right? Maybe it was a natural response." Taylor suggested, shrugging casually.

"I don't care how much danger you are in there is no way that is the cause. Do you know how many students have gone through the obstacle course, gotten broken bones and major bruising from it? None of them have ever lost it like she just did! I can't believe I had to slap a scrambler on my own daughter to shut her off!" Nine exclaimed in frustration. Riley did frown at the device on her left wrist but currently, she still didn't trust herself without it.

"Gentlemen may I point something out that might make a difference?" Lexa questioned, walking over from the terminal she was at.

"What?" Malcolm huffed.

"Have we ever really considered how much the cure affects how her legacy functions? Maybe she's more biologically damaged then we originally considered?" Lexa pointed out. "And that would explain that major loss of control." Lexa rolled her dark eyes at them. She turned on heel and went back to her terminal, ponytail swishing as she walked.

"Nine when your done arguing with Malcolm and Taylor we got work to do. She didn't destroy it but the obstacle course has still be damaged. I don't think any of your classes will be going through it today. There are several shorts in it among other errors." Lexa nonchalantly mentioned, typing into the terminal.

Riley didn't know if she should be proud to have damaged the obstacle course or not. She looked down at her hands, what had happened? She'd been doing so good at regaining strength and now she needed a scrambler to regain control?


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Come on one more ride. Pretty please." A teenage girl begged an older man. She had brown hair that was on the verge of dirty blonde. Her emerald green eyes were full of excitement. The older gentlemen let out an aggrieved sigh and let his shoulders slump.

"Fine. One more ride and then we are going home. Can't risk more than one more." He pressed. The girl rolled her eyes and groaned.

"Yes, father." She drawled before rushing off. The minecart ride was her favorite ride in this park. They'd been vacationing there all week.

Technically vacationing, her father had been running a booth at the Covered Bridge Festival held in the park. For the first time in a long time, she felt like a normal human being. She bounced on her feet as she waiting in line for it. She looked around amazed by the decoration that went into this ride. Even on the outside, it looked like a mine. From the actual minecarts sitting outside to the fake boxes of TNT, even the chains holding them shut had to be fake.

Her father came up behind her. "Not alone." He scolded, whispering in her ear. She rolled her dark green eyes at him.

"Paranoid much father?" She quietly hissed in his ear.

"The line is moving." He casually replied, nudging her forward. She huffed and stood in silence until they got their turn and climbed into a rail car. She gave her father an excited grin.

"This is going to be awesome. This has to be my favorite ride in the entire park." She excitedly spoke.

"Calm down, you gotta relax and control yourself." He reminded, stressing the last two words. She rolled her pine green eyes at him and faced forward. The cart started moving forward.

"You worry too much." She teased. Her father sighed and sat back. Praying that they survived what had to be the tenth time through this ride. Hoping that nothing would go wrong this time and they could leave afterward. That she didn't "hiccup" again. That was the last thing they needed. They traveled through old mine scenes and completely fake spooky scenes. They'd passed through the haunted mining city part and headed into the rainforest section. They were almost done and he actually let himself relax again. Then out of nowhere the fake caveman actually moved forward off his display and grabbed the cart. The people behind them screamed in terror, a few tried to reason it was some new special effects. And it could've been passed off like that, even with the monkey coming to life as well. It wasn't until the track disappeared and the display completely came to life like they were in an actual rainforest. People screamed in terror and unbuckled their seats. Hastily making their way to the exit.

The man sighed and buried his face in his hands. "One more ride." He sighed, completely regretting this decision now. His daughter looked up at him with her dark green eyes. Rimmed with red, shimmering with hot frustrated tears she was barely holding in.

"I'm sorry. I thought I could do it." She spoke softly, looking down at the ground. Her face was hot with shame. He sighed and unbuckled his seat belt.

"Come on, let's go before they make it here." He advised. They could hear workers entering the ride to inspect it. Probably having already heard the tales from the frantic people that rushed out.

"I'm sorry." The teen sniffled. He put an arm around her and squeezed reassuringly.

"Shush. We must leave quietly and speedily." He whispered, helping her towards the exit of the ride up ahead. So close to having a normal vacation. So incredibly close to passing off as human.

They made it back to their cabin and immediately packed, stuffing everything in the car. They'd only taken half an hour to pack, leaving no trace. Her father sighed and started the car, pulling out and picking up speed, heading to the exit of the park as fast as possible. EG hadn't come shut the place down yet. It was impressive. She slouched in the passenger seat and kicked her foot into the dashboard in frustration. Her pink toenails glittering in the afternoon sun. Her father sighed and pulled on to the main road, heading out of the park. Now was not the time for words.

The girl scowled at the dashboard like it was the source of all evil. She kicked it with her orange flip flop again.

"Don't put your foot through the glove box." He tersely spoke. She grunted and perked up hearing the faint siren. Her father sped up a little.

"Get down." He spoke firmly. She unbuckled and slid onto the floor in the back. Throwing the blanket over herself. At least she could nurture her hands in peace. She'd been clenching her fist so hard she'd sliced her palms open with her nails. Once the adrenaline wore off that would hurt.

He prayed they could make it out before EG arrived. Before they shut down the park. They met at the entrance. The convoy of white armored trucks and vans all painted with the EG logo turned into the park entrance. They looked like a swat team, except they weren't. They'd be equipped with different equipment. It doesn't mean that human weapons didn't work on Human Garde. But the anti-Garde tech was more efficient. He hoped Destiny fell asleep back there. It was at least a two drive back home, well their current home.

* * *

Destiny sighed and rested her chin on her knees. She was scowling at the view from the tree she was in. Upon the wooded hill behind the house in an abandoned tree stand. Up here you could see the whole valley. She could see the only road cutting through the valley, 762. She could see all the way down to the intersection of Nevada road to the south, and north until it intersects with Church Hill road. It was her favorite spot.

She ran up here, practically gasping for air like a fish gasps for water. She had cupped her hands under the pipe sticking out of the retention tank. It held water from a spring so it could be used at the house. Her father had explained it to her. The pipe dripped when there was excess water. Then she'd climbed into the tree stand. That was half an hour ago. She hadn't moved since then. This was her favorite place ever since they had to start running when she was eight.

She missed the warmth of Florida but this place was her second favorite. Sure it was bitterly cold in the winter but the calm serenity of nature was her favorite. She could just sit up here and pretend she was still normal. Her father told her what she was after the first incident. That she was what was called a Human Garde. These accidents she was having were caused by powers called legacies. Her "legacies" were reacting to the situation. Except normally said person had to be in danger. Every time that stupid power happened she was never in danger. She was always fascinated by whatever she was looking at and then it happens. And then they have to move. And she hated it. But her father refuses to give up on her. But he won't understand that she doesn't want this curse. She wants to be normal. To be able to enjoy everything and not worry about her powers losing control.

She heard the crunch of a branch being stepped upon. Her father came around the tall weeds that blocked her view of the second crest of the hill. He continued hiking up the path. He stopped at the base of her tree.

"Come on Destiny, their gonna trace us to this house and they will be here at any moment." He sighed, hands in his pockets. "I'm sorry but it's time to go. We've wasted enough time."

She scowled at him. "The closest EG base is Wyalusing with Tunkhannock being second closest. Would you like me to list the rest by timing? It's half an hour minimum between here and the closest EG dispatch center."

He held back a chuckle, she knew her stuff. "And it's been over three hours since we left the park so we're running out of time." He remarked casually.

She rolled her dark green eyes at him. "I choose the hairstyle and the location this time." She demanded, jumping down. She landed on all fours like a cat and bounced to her feet. "Deal?" She raised an eyebrow.

He sighed. "Cut not color, state not city." She crossed her arms.

"Fine, cut, color, and state." She pressed. He swore the older she got the better she was getting at bartering with him.

His shoulders slumped. "Fine, let's get moving. They could be here any second." He huffed, walking back downhill. She passed him and picked her way down the hill. Having been climbing it for two years now. The path was kind of grown over but it wasn't hard to pick out. She chuckled as she beat her father to the bottom. It was good to keep the old man on his toes from time to time. Better than being chased by EG.

* * *

She was tapping on the dashboard with her feet as she looked at the atlas they kept in the glove box. Her father had already sighed in annoyance at her feet on the dashboard. But she didn't care, sometimes she got to win the minor battles.

"How about a beach this time? We haven't been to a beach since I was eight." She suggested, looking up from the map at him.

"Where?" Her father questioned.

"How about Michigan? No hurricanes, no earthquakes, and the worst-case scenario is burial by snow." She chuckled. Her father smiled.

"Snow? More than what we experienced in Northeast Pennsylvania?" He laughed.

She cracked up. "Alright, Michigan it is." She chuckled.

Her father grabbed the map and flattened it out on the steering wheel. "New York or Ohio? He asked her.

"New York they'd search first because we were only half an hour away from the border. Virginia next in case we fled south of the park. So Ohio. They won't expect us to go West." She reasoned.

"Very good, I was going to say Ohio too." He nodded. "Besides I honestly believe they are lost with locating us." He chuckled.

She cracked up. "Ohio it is. The heart of it all."

Her father snorted. "Which I completely incorrect. The heart of the government is in D.C."

She sat up and laughed. "No the heart of it all is in California. The heart of EG is in San Francisco." She remarked.

"Very true. Very true." He nodded. "Now relax and we'll be there eventually." The rest of the ride to Rose Cross Academy was filled with silence.

* * *

She watched her father pull into the parking lot and stop right outside the office entrance. A woman with brown hair in a bun held by a pencil with annoyed hazel eyes was waiting. She wore a long maxi skirt and a patterned blouse. She tapped one black dress shoe impatiently. Bags hung off her crossed arms as scowled at them.

Destiny climbed over the console to the back seat and her father got out and opened the hatch. She walked over and threw her bags in haphazardly. All except her purse. She got in the passenger seat and waiting with an annoyed look as Destiny's father climbed back in. He pulled around the parking lot and out, back onto the road.

He chuckled. "Careful Eve, your face might freeze like that." He flashed her a smirk.

"Drive there pretty boy before I beat you up." She huffed.

Destiny gave them both a confused look.

"Again?" She questioned casually.

"Again." He sighed, shoulders sagging.

Destiny rolled her eyes and curled up against the seat, watching the trees flash by. Occasionally there was a road sign even.

"Hey, it's okay." Eve offered gently. "I'm sure you did everything you could. We both still love you. Right, _Marcus_?" She stressed her last few words.

"Geez _Evelyn_." He scoffed, enunciating every syllable. "You make it sound like I hate my own daughter." He scowled at the woman.

Destiny rolled her eyes. It was going to be a long ride if those two kept bickering like cats and dogs.

Eve held up her manicured hands. "My apologies. I just wanted to reassure her. Forgive me, your honor." She retorted.

"No need for sarcasm." He scowled.

She rolled her eyes. "Who says I was using sarcasm." She challenged with a smug grin.

The map on the dashboard suddenly slapped her in the face. "Marcus Andrew." She snapped.

"Shut up!" Destiny demanded, never looking away from the window.

Marcus sighed. "It's gonna be okay sweetie."

Destiny scoffed and rolled her eyes at her father. "You say that every time and yet it never is."

Evelyn sighed. Her niece was stubborn but withdrawn. She was sure each attempt drove her into her shell even farther. Maybe if she was more confident she wouldn't hiccup? Instead of shaming her encourage her. Marcus sighed and decided to let her be. Now was not the time for words.

"So anything of interest Eve?" He questioned his twin sister.

Evelyn nodded. "Later." She quickly covered.

"Good?" He raised an eyebrow. He knew she wanted to keep it from Destiny as long as possible but he needed to know that it was going to be good news.

"Good." She tersely replied, opening her bag and pulling out a thin laptop. They fell into an awkward silence. Destiny hated the awkward silence the most. It was the worst possible punishment. She buried her head in her arms. She was so worthless and hopeless.

* * *

Eve wandered down the aisles of CosmoProf collecting supplies. She chose cosmetology as a career in high school because doing hair was what she enjoyed most. Her brother had always been into science and aliens.

They were both in their senior year at Rose Cross Academy. She was on track to graduate from BOCES cosmetology and her brother was accepted into Broome as some biochemist.

Then the war broke out on earth, and aliens were real. Her brother could be considered part of the first generation of Human Garde. He was asked to help head off some excavation project up in the Adirondacks as lead chemist. But she shoved all those thoughts aside. She was getting sidetracked.

Just to officially end the train of thought she made sure her fake CosmoProf card was in her pocket. Had to prove you had a hairdresser license to get one and to shop here.

But regardless she had to focus on the matter at hand. She knew that Destiny was studying the hair color aisle. That was usually where she went. Although sometimes she's studying the various different shampoos asking her what is the difference other than fancy wording. Or Destiny can be found in the nail care aisle, picking a color of nail polish or studying the various accessories. Girl had priorities, that was for sure. Hair, nails, books, journals. The four pillars of her life. Hair because she wasn't always in control of it, nails because it was one thing she got to control, books for company, journals for writing her stories.

She chuckled as she finished her tour through the shampoo and conditioners, getting what she wanted. Destiny was in the hair color aisle scowling at the shelves as if they were the source of all evil. Even with her face and hair concealed by the hoodie, she could tell by her stance she was scowling at the shelves.

"So come to a decision yet?" She questioned, gesturing to the boxes marked with numbers and letters.

"What's the point?" She sighed.

Eve sighed and wrapped an arm around the girl, holding the basket with one hand.

"I'm sorry sweet cheeks but this is the hand you've been dealt. Now play it. What you leaning too." She questioned.

"How about as dark as my mental state." She huffed, shrugging her away.

Eve sighed but pressed on regardless. "We can do black again. Haven't done black since you were eight." She remarked.

All that earned her was a glare from the girls piercing green eyes. "Well then is there one we haven't done? I've been black, brown, and red. I'm practically a dirty blonde naturally." Destiny huffed.

Eve tried to jokingly elbow her. "Well, then shall we break your father's golden rule and go blonder?" She inquired. Maybe that was her way to get the girl to smile.

"How blonde?" Destiny curiously asked eyebrow raised.

Eve smiled. The harsh tone in Destiny's voice had softened to curiosity. She scanned the shelf. "Well, naturally you're probably between a five and a six. So how about you pick between eight or nine?" She suggested, pointing to the example strands. She saw that mischievous glint in the girl's dark green eyes.

"Go big or go home right?" She smirked from within her hoodie.

Eve snorted. "Your father is going to kill us." She got a small chuckle from Destiny.

"Awesome. Let's do it." She grinned.

Eve nodded. "Alright, scram. Go find some nail polish." She laughed.

She started collecting the supplies she needed for Destiny's hair color, hers and Marcus. She picked a nice dirty blonde for Marcus, man could go suck a lemon. She was going to use it on him whether she had to tie him down or not. There was only lighter for him being naturally black-haired. She was the only one not sporting natural hair color currently. They always had to be different so no one made the conclusion they were twins. So just because it would be a first in a while she selected a box marked one off the shelf. She never got to be black, Marcus always fought her on it. The stereotype is women spend more time and care more about their hair. That logic didn't apply to Marcus. He was more protective of his hair than any female she'd ever met. Strange man that was her brother. She wondered if his son inherited that?

* * *

Eve opened the door to the suite she'd gotten them in Residence inn, Erie. Conveniently located less than ten minutes away from the on-ramp to Interstate 90 west. With the door open they could haul their shopping bags in.

Marcus had taken over the small dining room table in the kitchenette in their room. His laptop, a portable printer, and scattered paperwork. Eve's case of tech gear laid open on the floor next to him.

"Honey we're home." She quipped, grinning at her brother.

He paid no attention and kept on working on the laptop. Destiny chuckled and smiled at her father.

"You're not even curious what we got?"

That got his hazel eyes to peak over the monitor at them. "Oh, your back. I didn't even hear you come in." He grinned up at them.

Eve rolled her matching hazel eyes at him. "Uh-huh. You heard me but chose to ignore me. But acknowledge your daughter. I understand how it works." She teased, dropping the bags on the stove.

He held his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "I take it back if you will show mercy on your one and only brother." He smirked.

She laughed and rolled her eyes. "Count your lucky stars I don't shave you bald." She teasingly threatened.

He raised an eyebrow at her and closed his laptop before looking back at her. Good grief he had to be dying to know what she discovered in her research at the school.

She put a hand on Destiny. The girl was peering in the bags to observe their contents. "Destiny how about you go quickly hop in the shower. Don't use anything on your hair, just get it wet so I can cut it." She suggested.

Destiny nodded. "This is going to be awesome." She smiled, disappearing into the bathroom.

Once she heard the shower kick on she sighed at her brother's grin. "Alright already. You're worse than a child on Christmas Eve." She chuckled. She reached for her tablet in the gear case. "Your answer oh impatient one is yes. Both are alive and potentially well. He has been AWOL for four years. Got busted during junior high gym class and ran. She was much more recently caught, she was protecting two girls from a strange man that approached them in the parking lot and wasn't taking no for an answer. She is located in the Academy, alive and well." She answered, taping away on the tablet. "I can look further into this if you want." She smirked mischievously.

He raised an eyebrow at her. He sighed. "Thank you, Eve. And yes please look into it. I want to know more." He replied in a simple and bland tone. As if unphased he went back to his work.

She sighed and started pulling supplies out of the shopping bags onto the small counter. She didn't know which would've been worse. Telling them if they were alive or dead. Because he didn't seem too thrilled to know they were alive. Or maybe that ones missing and ones captured is what disappointed him?


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"So when did you first notice you developed legacies?"

Malcolm questioned.

"While I was pregnant with Casey. I was cornered in an alleyway and almost mugged. My assailant was thrown back by some invisible force."

"Telekinesis." Riley drawled, toying with her green ball. She was laying on Malcolm's other table throwing it up and catching it. She was moping about still being scrambled. Malcolm looked at her before continuing his conversation.

"So you've had your legacies for nineteen years then?" Malcolm questioned.

"Almost twenty years." Mrs. Raya nodded.

"What legacies?" Riley bluntly stated.

"She displayed telekinesis, Lumen, telepathy, super hearing, and X-ray vision," Malcolm answered.

"Okay, I'm now going to swab you and collect several different samples. This anomaly will be found." Malcolm told the woman. Mrs. Raya nodded her blue eyes kind and welcoming.

"Do what you must."

"Lorien has a reason for everything. There has to be an explanation for you." Malcolm replied. Riley snorted.

"If it has a reason for everything then why did I lose my legacies just to get one new legacy just to lose it again because I suddenly can't control myself?" Riley snapped, bolting upright.

"Riley," Malcolm sighed.

"Don't even. You don't even know what happened earlier but for safety sake keep wearing the scrambler just keep it hidden!" Riley demanded.

"Hey now." Malcolm started.

"Leave me alone!" Riley exclaimed. She stormed out of his lab, shutting the door behind her.

"One moment." Malcolm held up a finger. He grabbed his phone and hit Lexa. "Lexa. One really pissed off teen on the loose. Can you get her?" Malcolm questioned.

"Why if course I can. But weren't you supposed to be keeping her?" Lexa teased, already knowing the answer.

"Yeah right." Malcolm scoffed.

"I got her Bill Nye," Lexa reassured. He hung up on Lexa and turned back to Mrs. Raya.

"I'm so sorry about that." Malcolm apologized meekly.

"Oh don't worry I've seen her like that before." Mrs. Raya chuckled, waving aside the comment.

"Okay, shall we start with the sampling then?"

* * *

"Riley!" Lexa called, running down the path to the beach. She finally caught up with the angry girl. Riley was sitting on the sand, head resting on her knees. She seemed to be watching the surf.

"Thank the elders." Lexa let out a sigh in relief. She sat down next to Riley. She just sat there in silence absorbing the sun and watching the surf.

After a few minutes, Riley spoke. "It isn't fair." She muttered.

"A lot of things in life aren't fair Riley. It wasn't fair that my brother died when he was a teenager. It wasn't fair that Lorien fell. It isn't fair that all the people I came here with died except Ella. It isn't fair that we are looked down upon. It isn't fair that the cure has affected so many people, and stripped away their legacies. It is incredibly unfair that children are ripped away from their families because of the government or that they have to run away. But that is just how things are. This is why we're doing what we're doing. We are fighting back but it's going to take effort and patience." Lexa reasoned.

"Why me?" Riley questioned angrily.

"Isn't that the question everyone asks themselves?" Lexa retorted.

"What do you think?" Riley inquired, large and sorrowful blue eyes look at her.

"I believe hardships can break us but only if we allow them too. They can improve us if we let it. We become stronger and more resilient. That is what I think." Lexa explained, turning back to face the ocean.

"Thank you, Lexa," Riley mumbled, looking at the Pacific Ocean.

"Anytime Ri."

* * *

"She's on her fourth hamburger so I'd say earlier had to do with a malfunctioning gene," Lexa commented.

"Is that all she's eaten?" Malcolm questioned, looking up from his computer and pushing his glasses up.

"No, she's also gone through a whole bag of honey barbecue chips," Taylor commented.

Lexa slapped Riley's hand as she went for a fifth burger. "How about you attack the fruit next?"

Taylor chuckled. "Her metabolism is incredibly fascinating."

"And incredibly fast. She seems to be burning calories three times as fast as a human." Malcolm added.

"I thought that was normal for all Loric?" Taylor questioned.

"Yes and no. She's not completely Loric but had a human mother. So, therefore, she's a Human Garde. But still, she burns three times as fast a human. Twice as fast as the average Human Garde. I've done the math." Malcolm explained.

"Have you now?" Lexa smirked, looking at the weathered scientist with amusement. Malcolm frowned at her and pushed his glasses up. He walked over to the whiteboard and uncapped a marker.

"Observe." He started writing down numbers. "A human of her size, age, and activity level should consume two thousand six hundred calories per day to maintain healthy body weight. A Human Garde of the same attributes should consume five thousand two hundred calories to maintain healthy body weight. But Riley has to consume almost eight thousand calories each day to maintain healthy body weight." Malcolm scribbled down all these numbers on the whiteboard to prove his point.

"Is that normal?" Riley spoke with food in her mouth.

"Riley if there aren't six hamburgers on the oven when I turn around I swear on the elders." Lexa threatened.

Malcolm turned around and chuckled. "No, it's a thing of grapes."

Lexa turned around to see a guilty looking Riley with an almost empty bag of grapes. Lexa sighed and decided to laugh about the situation. "I thought her father was a bottomless pit."

"Well, she is his daughter combined with a malfunctioning legacy gene so she's allowed. It's not like she won't burn it off." Malcolm remarked.

"So what on earth happened to me today?" Riley questioned, finishing off the grapes.

"Preferably before she eats us out of house and home." Lexa chuckled. Taylor chuckled.

"I'm not sure about that episode yet. But I am working on our legacy anomaly, Debra." Malcolm replied, typing on his computer.

"Oh?" Taylor inquired, taking a seat on a stool.

"I hacked into hospital databases for him this afternoon. He's got any and all forms of human data to compare against Debra's samples." Lexa answered simply.

"But she's not human?" Riley questioned, sounding unsure.

"Exactly!" Malcolm exclaimed in excitement.

"What's Bill Nye so excited about?" Nine questioned curiously, walking in with Debra.

"He's like a little kid who just got a big Christmas present." Lexa quipped.

"Human data came through?" Nine questioned.

"Yep, Riley can you set up the delivery from the refugee camp? I'm going to need Cecilia's samples." Malcolm inquired.

"We're going to have to send a package of supplies and instructions to them," Lexa added casually.

"Why Cecilia's?" Nine questioned, raising an inky eyebrow.

"Because Debra has had her legacies for almost twenty years and as of today, Cecilia has had her for twenty years. I checked old case files." Malcolm answered, eyes shining with clarity behind filthy lenses and face full of pride. He continued mumbling to himself while working on his laptop. Taylor fired up her laptop.

"Show me what you're working on Malcolm. Maybe I can be of help. You shouldn't be doing this alone."

"So what kept you?" Riley asked, taking a seat on a stool.

"I had a meeting with Susan and then I had to wait until someone was done with their interrogation." Nine answered, sounding annoyed.

"They are on a witch hunt. It's nothing to panic over." Debra calmly added.

"Makes perfect sense really, you're the first parent they have in their clutches that's child is involved with the rebellion," Lexa stated bluntly.

"A bargaining chip. That's why none of us Garde children can get caught and all the original Garde are in hiding except my father. They can leverage child against parent or parent against child." Riley thoughtfully explained.

"That's barbaric." Debra scoffed, showing her first signs of disgust.

"No that's EG for you. They want the rebellion and they want it bad. At this point, they will stoop to the lowest of lows if it means getting what they want." Lexa harshly spoke.

"It's like Mogadorians," Riley commented absentmindedly.

"Mogadorians!" Malcolm bolted upright. Hazel eyes shining with fear and panic behind his dirty frames.

"Dude do I need to get you an appointment with Linda or something?" Lexa snapped in annoyance.

"Malcolm is just our special nerdy guy." Nine chuckled.

"You do realize the words that just came out of your mouth right?" Riley stifled a laugh.

Nine smirked. "You've caught us. Malcolm and I have been in love for many years in secret." Nine confessed with a grin.

"The pair of you have a screw loose." Lexa laughed.

"Get away from me." Malcolm huffed, oblivious to the joke.

"Alright, you two should DTR while I'm contacting camp," Riley advised, walking away from them towards the hallway.

"Huh?" Nine and Lexa questioned. Malcolm rolled his eyes and groaned.

"It's sad when the human gets my point," Riley called over her shoulder.

"Go away, Riley!" Malcolm replied.

"I'll ask again. What does DTR mean?" Lexa questioned, raised an inky eyebrow at the old man. Malcolm looked over his frames at her and Nine with a weary look.

"You don't want or need to know my friends."

* * *

Riley flopped on her bed and rolled onto her back. She tossed the red crystal up in the air with one hand and caught it with the other.

"Come in Hera." She called as it lit up with her touch. Nothing for a moment and then a yelp.

"This is Artemis. Come in Nine." Sidney replied.

"Hey, Artemis where's Hera?" Riley inquired with a hint of amusement.

"Not available at the moment. How can we help you?" Sidney asked, her tone though gave away she was hiding something.

"What did he do?" Riley flinched. Casey always seems to be either injured, in trouble, busy in a heated argument or working. Every other time she called he either answered or was brought to the other end from wherever he was.

"He and Cecilia are in the most heated discussion yet. I presume by now you know why." Sidney explained, her tone lightening as she spoke.

"Curses Casey." Riley groaned. "I completely forgot about how much of a hot head he can be."

"If you could, the only suggestion to end this endless debate is to involve the one woman he'll listen to." Kat cut in.

"I hope that isn't me cause he doesn't always listen to me," Riley remarked.

"Obviously not you. If he won't listen to me I highly doubt he'll listen to you." Kat scoffed.

"Six," Sidney warned.

"We want you to put his mommy on the phone and smack some common sense into him before this continues any further. We're just three hundred and five strong, we can't have our leadership arguing like this." Sidney continued explaining, ignoring Kat's earlier comment.

"All with legacies?" Riley asked incredulously.

"Two hundred and fifty-six with legacies." Kat sighed.

"A lot of the ones that were captured during the original raid and afterward were cured and released. No breakthroughs like yours." Riley heard footsteps in the background.

"You guys gotta do something before they destroy each other," Adelina exclaimed breathlessly. Riley rolled backward and used momentum to roll forward and to her feet.

"I got his mom." She replied. She darted out of her room and back into the kitchen where the others were.

"Mrs. Raya talk some sense into your son the moment you're told." Riley quickly informed. She held out the crystal for the woman. She could hear yelling getting louder on the other side.

"Casey!" Kat hollered in frustration.

"Anytime now," Sidney called.

"Casey Stephen Raya! You stop whatever you're doing this minute and listen to me!" Debra hollered into the crystal. Everyone on both sides froze at her sudden fury. It was dead silent on the other end.

"Mom?" Casey's voice cracked with emotion suddenly.

"It's me, Casey. Now whatever trouble you are causing needs to stop. I'm fine and you can do nothing about it. Don't risk yourself for me. They need you more than I do. I can't let you risk yourself and harming your people in hiding just to save me." Debra calmly replied.

"You swear you're not in danger in the academy?" Casey pressed.

"Casey I swear that I am safe where I am and you need to focus on your group and what's best for all those people relying on you," Debra reassured.

"Okay, mom." Casey regretfully sighed.

"And I hear one more peep about you causing trouble so help me the moment I get my hands on you." Her voice carried a warning tone sharp as a knife.

"Yes, ma'am." He answered quickly.

"Now what do you want Nine?" Casey questioned.

"Not a chance. You and Ceci go kiss and make up. We got your girlfriend." Kat advised. Riley chuckled at them and took the crystal back. She wandered back to her room before talking again.

"Alright now I called to tell you that once they get the kit together we need a million samples from Cecilia. But first, we need you folks to figure out a way to contact John so he can get it from the academy to you guys and then back to us. Flying invisible man skills required." Riley explained. She heard the little bells of Adelina's laugh.

"Why Cecilia?" Sidney questioned.

"Because Cecilia will be the closest to Mrs. Raya in length of time regarding legacies," Riley answered simply.

"Awesome. Why does grandpa care about Casey's mom?" Kat drawled.

"Because she is an anomaly that he wants to examine. She missed the legacy window by six or seven years. He wants to know why and how she has legacies." Riley casually replied.

"Artemis out." Sidney laughed. Riley dropped her crystal and flopped back on her bed. She couldn't wait for things to start picking up. It was a long semi boring wait.

* * *

A month later Riley was on the floor in the backroom of the infirmary doing her accounting homework. It wasn't that hard actually. She had just finished the first page of the journal when she was rudely interrupted.

_Hey, Nine junior can you let me in your father's cabin? He says he's busy. _A male voice echoed in her mind.

Riley held back a cry in alarm at the strange voice. It'd been over a year since she'd heard his voice in her head if only briefly at the EG ball last year.

_John?_ She questioned cautiously.

_Sorry to spook you but I've been informed to contact you for a hiding place. Where are you on campus grounds?_ John asked.

_Let me tell Taylor about this and then we're on our way. Nice to hear from you again flying invisible man._ Riley replied.

I'_ll see you at your father's cabin. _John agreed. Riley packed up her materials back into her backpack and left to go talk to Taylor. Taylor was right outside at her desk talking to an aid.

"Taylor I left my calculator in the cabin I think. Can you come help me look for it?" Riley suggested, winking at Taylor.

"I'll be back to check on her leg when I get back. It'll only take a few moments." Taylor informed her aid. The young woman nodded and walked away.

"Leg patient?" Riley inquired.

"It's Olivia again. I swear she's in here every day after the three o'clock training session. She can wait a little bit. Maybe it'll sink in that she's not indestructible. One of these days she's gonna kill herself in training." Taylor sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"Don't you think that maybe that's the point?" Riley smirked, giving Taylor the look.

"We have too many suicidal students anymore." Taylor groaned.

"Some truly believe they are indestructible though. Others are just stupid." Riley shrugged.

"So it's here?"

"It's here and needs a hiding place because others are busy," Riley explained.

"He's early." Taylor teased.

"Don't you know the Pacific Ocean is shrinking?" Riley quipped.

Taylor rolled her eyes at the teen's sarcasm.

_Don't you know I had a daughter to drop off before I got here? The overnight flight on chimera express._ John teased. Riley put her key in the lock and opened the door for him.

"Behave yourself. In a few more hours we'll all be in here like one happy family." Riley reasoned.

"Awesome. Your father making me cook again?" John gave a hearty chuckle.

"You'd have to ask him." Riley shrugged. "Chimera express? You brought Bernie?" She questioned as an afterthought.

"No, I sent him back after I dropped Adel off at the refugee camp. He's probably halfway home now knowing him." John answered with a friendly grin.

"Come on Riley don't you have a class to go to soon? Four o'clock training?" Taylor inquired.

"If I have no legacies according to the officials why must I be in a training class with students that still have theirs? That's just asking for trouble." Riley groaned, throwing her head back as she groaned.

"Because honestly if you weren't Nine's daughter they'd have kicked you back to your mother a long time ago. No human eighteen-year-olds are in the academy." Taylor pointed out. Riley let out another annoyed groaned.

"A probably few more months chick and you'll be back with your people," Taylor remarked. Taylor directed Riley back to the door.

"See you later John," Taylor called over her shoulder.

"Can't I claim to be ill?" Riley pleaded.

"Your father will kill me. Go prove the rookies that you're better than them." Taylor encouraged, shutting the door behind them.

"That's the most humiliating part. They had to put me in the tweebs training class." Riley whined. Taylor stifled a laugh. She hadn't heard the term since she went here and it was Isabella who taught her that term.

"You know that term?" Riley looked surprised.

"Riley I hate to break it to you but that term is as old as the academy itself. The term was coined by the first class to attend here." Taylor chuckled, covering her mouth with a hand.

"Your class?" Riley sounded astounded.

"I myself didn't coin the phrase. But yes it was my peers that made the term. Poor teens who only had telekinesis for the longest time." Taylor proudly admitted. "It's dweebs but with a T."

"Awesome." Riley grinned.

"Come on your father waits for no one. Including his own daughter who has nothing better to do." Taylor smirked.

"Un-huh. I'll blame it on our visitor." Riley mischievously countered with her grin. She took off down the path, leaving Taylor behind. Taylor smiled as she watched the lean body and mass of black hair disappeared down the path. How could such a normal girl end up so unusually gifted? Lorien certainly picked odd targets for its plans.

* * *

Riley was up in the deck outside Malcolm's lab stretching. She could hear the chatter from inside but didn't feel like making out the words. She already knew what they were talking about. They were all informing John about the progress they've made with her and the recent setback. Talking about Malcolm's lack of progress with the reversal and his new anomaly he's been examining. Several legacies came to mind that could help her eavesdrop. Telepathy, Super hearing, and Sonic manipulation were among them. But she didn't want to hear the disappointment in her father's voice again. How saddened he'd been when she lost it in the obstacle course, which was still down. Finally, they poured out onto the deck.

"The first sign of another episode," Nine started.

"I know, shut it down the minute I sense I'm going to lose it. How about you worry about your own problems?" Riley impatiently snapped, rolling her blue eyes at her father. Taylor quietly started attaching newly made sensors to Riley. She didn't even ask Riley to test them. Lexa tapped away on her tablet.

"Malcolm you and Nine can go inside and continue your work on the anomaly if you want. I think there's enough of us to handle this." Lexa gently suggested. Nine scoffed and marched back into Malcolm's lab. Riley huffed and headed for the stairs. John looked miffed at the underlying tension.

"Have I missed something between those two?"

"Not the time John. Not the time." Taylor advised.

"I'll go talk to him and send Malcolm out here." Lexa huffed, handing Taylor her tablet. She stalked off and practically ripped the door off its hinges as she entered the lab. John awkwardly stood there watching them.

"Down in the gym with Riley. Have fun working with her while your here. We got this up here." Taylor meekly suggested.

"Taylor, what is going on? Suddenly the moles all seem to be at each other's throats?" John inquired worriedly.

"It's really only Nine and his daughter. You know we told you about the recent episode where Riley lost control and almost destroyed the obstacle course? Well, Nine is just worried and stressed about his daughter. But he seems to be taking out his frustrations on her instead of absolutely anything else." Taylor explained quietly. Malcolm slipped out of his lab with his laptop.

"I wouldn't recommend going in there. It's getting ugly." Malcolm advised simply.

"Glad to know someone can slap some sense into him," Taylor remarked, her tone carrying a touch of annoyance.

John snorted. "Sense isn't something commonly found in his vocabulary. I'll go handle Riley." He waved and headed down into the gym. Malcolm chuckled and went to work on his laptop. This was different than most late-night meetings. But Riley needed all the time with John they could get. Ximic to Ximic.

* * *

"You want to explain what in the name of Lorien has gotten into you?" Lexa snapped, locking eyes with the agitated Loric.

"Don't start with me, Lexa." Nine immediately shot back, blue eyes darkening like the sky before a storm.

"Too late I'm starting this and ending this. What has gotten into the thick skull of yours? Where do you get off holding an accident against your own daughter?" Lexa demanded, stepping closer to him.

"Why is it my daughter that has all these problems? I've never in all my years had a student with as many problems as she does. She was perfect Lexa. Then all this crap had to happen. If she had just stayed with the refugee camp and not thrown herself into danger immediately," he argued but stopped himself.

"Finish that sentence, Professor. What if she'd stayed in camp and someone else volunteered to get Sidney? She would've been captured in the raid for as much of a rookie as she was. Face it Nine. Your daughter is a spitting image of you whether you like it or not. She has your strengths and has inherited several of your weaknesses. When you were her age you were always throwing yourself into the fray. You were cocky and believed you were unstoppable. Your daughter takes after that. She did exactly what you would've done. She threw herself into the middle of this to help a friend and it just continued from there." Lexa argued, taking another step towards him.

"I had years of training before I threw myself into anything!" Nine exclaimed, getting her face. His muscles were taut and his blue eyes shone with a fierce intensity she couldn't quite understand. "She was just beginning when it was all taken away from her! It shouldn't have happened to her! None of this should've happened to her! She was perfect just the way she was!" Nine exclaimed in frustration right in Lexa's face.

Lexa went to open her mouth but saw his shoulders sag, wait was that tears in his eyes?

"I should've done better at protecting her. She got hurt because I failed to protect my only child. She was all I had to protect and I failed." Nine admitted, eyes shining with what she figured were held back tears.

"Nine it wasn't your fault. She is a teenager. She took a risk and paid the consequences. But we can fix this." Lexa reasoned.

"No it's my fault she was cured and they stripped her of her legacies! It's all my fault. I left her on her own and on the run because I believed she'd be safe! What an absolute fool I was!" Nine snapped, muscles tensing again.

"Nine, we can fix this. You didn't fail. Your daughter is still alive and healthy. Malcolm is working on a cure for her." Lexa reminded carefully. She put a hand on his shoulder gently. He shrugged her off.

"Malcolm has been working on it for months now and has absolutely nothing! Admit it, Lexa, if I hadn't failed at protecting my daughter none of this would've happened!" Nine glared, towering over her with a furious glare. She was done with diplomacy. She slapped him across the face with all her might. He stumbled and looked at her in shock.

"You need to pull yourself together immediately. You can't be falling apart at a time like this." Lexa ordered, all compassion draining out of her. Nine straighten his stance and looked at her with a mixture of shock and curiosity. "Your daughter needs you now more than ever. Your mental breakdown is affecting her. It's affecting her emotional state and emotions affect legacy control. If you want her to show signs of progress and not another meltdown than pull yourself together and show her you have faith. Faith in her and faith in Malcolm. I have faith that Malcolm will figure this out one day. You have to remember he is human though. He can only do so much. Are we clear?" Lexa coldly hissed through clenched teeth. Nine remained silent.

"Do I have to slap you again?"

"Peace Lexa. I'll keep it together for Riley's sake. Thank you for slapping some sense into me." Nine finally spoke slowly.

"Anytime Professor. Now let's go watch your daughter and give Malcolm his space to work." Lexa suggested.

"He can have all the space he wants if he can crack the cure." Nine chuckled.

"There's the spirit." Lexa encouraged, escorting him out.


	4. Chapter 4

So sorry for being late. It got a little hectic last week and I never got time to upload. Sorry. But please enjoy the next chapter

Chapter 4

Casey grunted as his attacker had him in a chokehold. He hated to use it but he had only one option left. With his left hand he quickly reached up and placed it on the crown of the attackers head. Pulling their head down towards him. The attacker tried to head but him but he moved his face in time and they missed. In a fluid motion he brought his right arm back and brought it down hard on their clavicle. He could feel it crack under his elbow. The attacker let out a cry in alarm and released him.

He sat up gasping for air. Once he caught his breath he gave his attacker an apologetic grin. He then stood up and faced his class of teens. He had 13-15 year olds. "Alright can anyone tell me what Hope did wrong?" He questioned.

Hope glared at him from behind. She was a healer, he was sure she'd be fine. Although from what he understood healers took longer to heal than regular Human Garde.

Chase raised his hand. "She was so focused on strangling you that she forgot to restrain your other limbs. This gave you the opportunity to attack while she was distracted." He answered simply. His sister Eden made a kissing motion with her lips from her seat with the thirteen year olds.

"Correct Chase. She forgot to watch my limbs. You must remember in combat to always look for openings. I could've kneed her in the groin, and my arms were open for all kinds of attacks." He explained, folding his hands behind his back.

He saw Eden still puckering her lips at her brother and smirked. He could remember a time when Riley and him would do that to each other in class way back when they were both normal. It was fun being the teacher now. "Eden, care to tell me what the major strike areas are?" He smirked at the wiry girl.

Eden looked at him with wide blue eyes, as if she didn't expect to be called on. "You want to strike the temple, the eyes, the throat, the solar plexus, the kidneys, and the groin." She answered simply.

Casey nodded. "Very good." He gave a look of surprise when a hand slipped under his jaw and suddenly a lean arm was wrapped around his neck. He heard a female grunt in pain as the second arm was used to shove his head forward.

"Class what did Casey forget?" She gasped in pain. Casey felt her release, she was obviously in pain, even if her healing legacy had kicked in.

The boy named Chris was sitting next to Eden. He raised his wiry arm. "He forgot to keep an eye on his attacker. He was so distracted bragging about her failures it gave her opportunity to strike back regardless of her injuries."

Casey coughed as Hope released him. "Excellent. Now practice what we've discussed today with each other. Everyone pair up." He announced, clapping his hands.

Hope grunted and cradled her arm against her. "When you said you needed a dummy you never mentioned that you were going to shatter the dummies clavicle." She glared.

Casey was always terrified when Hope glared at him. She looked so much like her sister Cecilia it made him feel like it was Cecilia glaring at him. Which was also never a good sign, because she was one of the few people who could actually kick his butt. Or was wipe the floor a better term?

"Sorry Hope. But it'll heal. If you need to you can go to the infirmary." He offered, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. She scoffed and rolled her dark blue eyes at him.

"How ironic the healer being sent to the infirmary. Well then I'll see you later. It was nice knowing you if Ceci hears about this." She called over her shoulder, walking away. She headed away from the training field and to the infirmary.

Casey rolled his emerald eyes. As if Cecilia would kill him. Hope could defend herself and Cecilia knew it. He might get a lecture but no death. Now if he'd broken Emma, then he was dead. Emma was human, legacy gene skipped over her, and she couldn't defend herself as well. Not saying that Emma couldn't fight, by Lorien she was a fiesta young woman. It was just Cecilia is much more protective of Emma because Emma doesn't have legacies and the upgrades the rest of them do.

Sidney passed Hope on her way towards the training field. "She's gonna kill you." Was the first words out of her mouth, followed by a knowing smirk.

"Which one? Hope or Cecilia?" He chuckled, crossing his arms as he smiled at Sidney.

"Cecilia first and then when Hope is healed she'll kill you again." Sidney retorted with a grin.

"You know us well." He smirked. He had no doubt both females couldn't put him in the infirmary. He raised an inky eyebrow at the teen. "So any particular reason you wanted to see me?"

Sidney chuckled. "Yep, your presence is requested in Central Command ASAP. By order of Cecilia, Katarina, and Gia." She answered simply, bouncing on her heels.

"I swear on the elders if this is about another pathetic supply raid I'm gonna go nuts." He grumbled.

"Nah, I sneaked a peek. I heard Gia mentioning a new EG target. Another runaway giving EG and I quote 'the whack a mole game or there lives.'" She chuckled.

He snorted. "Sounds like an actually interesting mission. It's been getting slow around here. All this preparing for war is taking forever." He groaned, stretching his sore limbs.

Sidney rolled her eyes and laughed. "Men, always wanting to fight and never plan." She spoke with a grin, shaking her head.

"Can I leave you in charge?" He inquired, gesturing to his training class. He was going to ignore her comment about planning.

"Aye aye captain. Go find out what our resident hacker found." She smiled, waving him away.

He clapped her on the shoulder. "Your the best. Thanks." Before he rush across the lawn towards Command.

"That's what they all say!" She called after him. She chuckled and rolled her eyes. She wondered what Riley saw in such a goofy boy.

* * *

Casey rubbed his sore neck as he walked into Central Command, basically Gia's domain. "What's this I hear about a new target? And the whackamole game of EG's lives? I thought that was Ceci's job." He chuckled.

Adelina raised an eyebrow at him, his neck was probably already bruising, but Kat spoke up. "Someone get the best of you in training there sifu?" She asked smuggly, leaning against the desk and crossing her arms.

"Only Hope. She's a feisty dummy." He answered with a hearty chuckle.

Cecilia snorted. "Well she is related to me. So she's already got a hand up on you there Case." She remarked with a smile.

Casey scoffed and crossed his arms, a look of amused annoyance on his face. "This coming from the chick who didn't know Hope was alive until almost three years ago." He reminded.

Cecilia stuck her tongue out at him, acting much younger than she was. She was almost twice his age. "This coming from the boy who didn't know he's actually a genetic Human Garde instead of random genetic mutation." She snipped. "I have that right correct Gia?" She questioned as an afterthought.

"Let's see his mother is a Human Garde anomaly, she developed legacies while pregnant with him. So technically yes and technically no. It's a conundrum and he'd be a hardwired Human Garde on technicality." She replied, never looking up from her monitors.

"But the real question is why should I care? We're not here for you and him to snipe at each other about things you couldn't have possibly known without me. So can we please get back to the real reason of this meeting?" She impatiently spoke, putting her tablet on her lap and rolling away from her desk. She rolled over to the bank of screens that usually showed various feeds but for meetings she pulled up files and other important info on them.

"Such as our target. Who may I add breaks the other end of my grandpas spectrum of legacy development." She continued in her disinterested and slightly irritated tone. She swiped up on her tablet and on the center screen came up a file with a teenage girl's face followed by lots of info. It was her EG file.

"This chick blows Ceci's evading record out of the water. Girl's been playing whack a mole with our friends longer than the rebellion has existed." She huffed, tapping on her tablet. The picture enlarged to take up the whole center screen.

"Meet Destiny Evangeline Sane. Age Sixteen, five feet five inches, and a whopping 119 lbs. But that's not all." She held up a finger and the screen changed back to her file. One of the lines became highlighted. "The kicker is she developed legacies at age 8. The earliest development ever recorded. Now you may say, Gia maybe she was in danger or something and that caused her legacies to surface way too early." She mocked, before shaking her head. "Well you'd be wrong. I looked into it and looked from all angles and had our cohorts in the Academy, aka Lexa and Nine look into it. Girl has lived a very regular life and she popped on a field trip to a civil war museum in Pensacola Florida. Can't get any safer or mundane than that." She drawled in an annoyed tone. She pulled up several pictures on her tablet and swipe them up. Filing all three screens with pictures from the museum accident.

"To add to our mystery, her legacy is the first of its kind. My grandpa looked through his log for anything close to it and came up with only one idea but it would still be classified as a different legacy. If anything she has reanimation on some major steroids." Gia quickly and harshly spoke. As if she was still irritated for some reason.

"Just by thinking it. For example these lovely pictures of the civil war monument. Things come to life. Except there are limitations with this legacy as my grandpa has recorded. For starters reanimation is another one of this legacies that's an odd ball. Not exactly common but not exactly rare either. Much like Aeternus or Morphen. Not much is know about it doesn't exactly fit into a category. But my dad did get to witness a case many years ago before he and mom had children. My grandpa has hypothesized about based on how other legacies function. The user of this legacy can only animate for a short time and the thing isn't always sentient." Gia tersely explained. "But our friend here seems to be breaking all sorts of rules. It doesn't matter what medium it is, she can make anything come to life, they stay animated, and are completely sentient. Like the mannequins from the civil war display? They are still alive to this day as if they'd been born and raised here. They even fully believe it's still the civil war and that Lincoln is in office." She spoke, never changing her bland tone.

"So our lovely moles have recommended that we try to get our hands on her before EG does. Now you may make any quips, questions, or remarks." She finished, taking a her water from her cup holder and drinking it.

Casey snorted. "Someone actually beat Cecilia's record? That's impressive. But she's still the most wanted I presume?" He smirked.

Gia nodded. "eight year's and counting, four run ins, one to two years apart each time." She answered simply. "And of course Cecilia is still the most wanted." She scoffed.

Cecilia elbowed Casey. "How dare you doubt it. Besides your next in line. Cecilia playfully smirked.

Gia snapped her fingers. "I'm not done yet. So anymore questions or comments pertaining to the matter at hand?" She inquired, hazel eyes glaring at Casey.

Sidney causally flipped her hand up. "How's this chick evading EG so easily?"

Gia smiled and clapped her hands together. "Why I'm glad you ask Sidney. This leads directly into my next part of this lovely presentation." She tapped on her tablet and swiped up. "Unlike Ceci this girl has help. Marcus Andrew Sane, the girl's father. He is age forty four, five seven, and more brain than muscle. What should interest us besides he's the father of one of the greats escapees ever is that he was the head of project SRI." She announced.

"You may say, why does this matter Gia? I haven't exactly figured it out yet. But project SRI is important because it gave birth to the anomaly that is going to lead to the cure. So just keep it in the back of your mind that this man was in charge of that project." She shrugged.

"It is believed this man is behind all four of their escape attempts, the fourth time being a stroke of pure luck. Our friend Marcus here always makes sure his daughter pops up in a region where EG response times are absolute garbage." She remarked.

"So it is a good hypothesis that this man has done extensive research on EG dispatch centers all across the country to give them the maximum amount of time to flee." She looked up from her tablet.

"Last known location is Knoebels in Elysburg. But their last known address will be familiar to Ceci. 478370 State Route 672, Clifton, PA." Gia read. The room went dead as all eyes turned to Cecilia, who had gone white as a sheet.

* * *

Cecilia came to a stop as they pull into the driveway. Kat was asleep in the passenger seat. Adelina, Henri, Eden, and Chase had been sitting in the back two rows of the SUV playing bullcrap. Through some swearing and hacking, two of Gia's favorite things, they'd rented the house for a month. Mostly because Cecilia couldn't imagine spending any longer here or even a month here for that fact.

"Alright ladies and gentlemen we've arrived." She opened the door and a cold gust of wind blew by her. Yep welcome to the northeast in late November. Bitterly cold wind and temperatures. She was surprised there wasn't snow on the ground yet. Although Casey said it'd snow next week. Something about it always snows on the tournament weekend of his old school?

Adelina nudged Kat. "Rise and shine sunshine." She softly spoke. Kat didn't even stir. Cecilia smirked and shut her door. Adelina and Henri climbed out into the biting wind. Chase grinned mischievously and slapped Kat.

"Wake up!" He yelled before jumping out of the car.

Cecilia has just gotten the door to the garage unlocked when Chase blew by her with Katarina hot on his trail. "Your dead!" She hollered.

"Only if you can catch me!" He called over his shoulder with a wide grin.

Cecilia rolled her eyes. They were to be playing the part of a family moving into a new house anyways. Chase darted back out the garage door with Kat after him. They proceed to start chasing each other around the property.

"Can I laugh when one of them falls and gets hurt?" Adelina questioned, walking in with her bag.

Henri followed her with a mischievous look as he held up a finger. "The more important question is can we withhold treatment because they're acting like idiots?" He mischievously quipped.

"Keep it moving wise guy." Cecilia laughed.

Eden followed Cecilia into the house. They walked into a mudroom that connected to a kitchen. "Weirdos." Eden shook her head.

Cecilia saw Henri and Adelina playing Rock Paper Scissors. "What are you doing?" Cecilia questioned.

"Seeing who gets which room. There's two bedrooms right next to each other." Henri answered.

"And I want the one facing the back hill. Because it's got a nice view." Adelina argued, crossing her willowy arms and scowling at her brother.

"But logistically speaking the bedroom facing the back hill won't receive sunlight until late afternoon because it's facing the west. So you can maximize sleeping in time in that room." Henri remarked.

Cecilia burst out laughing at the sibling rivalry. "First of all don't disturb any of the bedrooms because there may be valuable evidence in them. Secondly. There's a third bedroom and it's the biggest. Since we have more girls than boys the girls get the master bedroom." Cecilia explained with a smug grin.

"Ha!" Henri cheered victoriously.

"I get one room and you and Chase will be sharing the other." Cecilia added, smirking at Henri.

Henri rolled his eyes. "Fight me for it then." He challenged with a smug grin.

"Nah, I don't want to beat up a healer." She dismissed.

"Umm Cecilia, there are two targets right?" Adelina questioned.

"Yeah, so?" She asked, looking up at Adelina.

Adelina opened the two doors at the end of the living room. "Then why are both spare bedrooms disturbed?" She questioned, gesturing to both of the rooms.

Eden darted off around the kitchen peninsula and around the corner into the other hallway. Cecilia could her the girls small feet slam into the ground as she came back into the room. "Umm. We got a problem Houston." She replied.

Cecilia sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose as she squeezed her eyes shut. "Let me guess, there aren't just two targets. We got three targets."

* * *

Cecilia sent the boys, partially against her own will, in the car to go to a local convenience market. Kat and Adelina were in one bedroom quietly looking for clues. Cecilia sat on a bar stool watching Eden. Keeping completely quiet. Eden needed complete silence for this to work.

"If the walls could talk." Eden mumbled, hands against the living room wall. Her eyes were closed and her face scrunched up with concentration. She'd been standing there for ten minutes like this. Cecilia worried it wouldn't work. Maybe there wasn't enough of a trace for Eden to latch onto. She jerked her hand away and rubbed her ears. She shook her head and looked at Cecilia with a lost look.

Cecilia sat up. "You okay Eden?" She questioned.

Eden rubbed her ears again. "Let's try a different wall." Eden sighed. "All I heard was scraping noises and laughing."

Cecilia sighed. "Maybe try the kitchen?" She suggested, pointing to a section of peach colored wall by the front door. Eden nodded and walked over placing her hands on it.

"If the walls could talk." She muttered again.

Cecilia sighed. Maybe it wouldn't work. Eden wasn't always successful. Eden grunted and leaned against the wall. Cecilia was her eyelids flutter as the small girls head tilted back. To the casual observer it would look like Eden was about to either stroke or seize. But she wasn't. Her legacy had found something to latch onto and now her brain had to do double time to translate.

After what seemed like forever Eden fell to the floor panting. She rubbed her eyes as if they had dirt in them. Cecilia got up and knelt down next to Eden.

"Eden where are we?" She questioned. It was noted that Eden could become disoriented and even agitated after using her legacy. Unusual for the delicate and cheerful teen but she had witnessed E go into a kind of attack mode.

Edens beautiful blue eyes were clouded over still. "Home." She spoke as if in a trance. Cecilia winced. Edens legacy hadn't released. She slapped the girl hard across the cheek. Hoping it'd snap her back into reality.

"Eden who am I?" Cecilia questioned.

"Ceci." She spoke still kind of dazed. It was progress that the girl recognized her. Eden looked at her slightly confused still. Her eyes clearing slightly. Eden had difficulty forming new memories. It was progress to Eden.

Cecilia smiled. "Eden where is your brother?" Eden blinked and rubbed her eyes again.

"He left with-." She furrowed her pale brows. His friend." She spoke unsure. "To go get food at the store." She replied with a proud grin.

"Thank goodness. Thought we'd lost you for a minute there Eden." Cecilia chuckled, clapping the young girl on the shoulder.

Eden rubbed her eyes again and smiled. "I'm never gonna get used to that am I?" She questioned. "It's weird, reaching out into nothing and then it's like I'm out of my body." She shivered.

Cecilia smiled. "I guess time will tell if you get over it. So what did you see?" She inquired, sitting on the ground with the girl.

"Lots of things. Visions. A man and a girl at the table over there. It looked like he was helping her with homework. Homework it was math homework. Math, math is hard, algebra, fractions, failure." She started mumbling, eyes clouding over.

Cecilia grab the girl by the shoulders. "Eden. Do you want to wait for Chase?" She questioned.

Eden had zoned out again. "Quadratic formula, Archimedes, Euclidean." She muttered.

Cecilia sighed. She'd been to hasty. The girls mental state was still too fragile to be useful. She'd have to wait for her brother to come back. He was much better at bringing her back then Cecilia was. She left Eden to her fit and went to check on Kat and Adel.

"So much progress being made?" She questioned, opening the right hand bedroom door.

Adelina looked up from her position on the floor. She was positioned in front of an empty bookshelf. "Not really." She replied. There was a bump from the closet as Kat stuck her head out.

"Negative. There isn't much to see here." She shrugged, rubbing her head.

"What'd Eden find out?" She questioned.

Cecilia sighed. "I can't get to it. She started talking but then started muttering about math."

Adelina perked up. "You can if you know how to talk to her. She's a synthete believe it or not, underneath the whole memory trauma thing. Her legacy really gets worked up. Let me see her." Adelina suggested, getting up.

"Resubmit that in English please. Pretend I have no medical knowledge." Cecilia crossed her arms and leaned against the doorway.

Adelina sighed and made a helpless gesture with her hands. "A synthete. Someone whose brain is basically miswired. It's not a disease per say but just that the senses are intertwined in her brain. One sense sets off another sense. Like tasting words or hearing colors." Adelina explained flustered. "When her legacy works, it takes her brain time to process info from it into something logical. Her synthesisa gets in the way and what she gets from her legacy gets connected to her own memories. It's all a matter of talking to her. That's all her brother does really. He talks her through it." Adelina shrugged, brushing past Cecilia.

* * *

Adelina knelt down in front of the muttering fourteen year old. "Eden, listen to the sound of my voice. Can you hear it?" She softly inquired.

Cecilia sat on a stool to watch. She didn't believe that by talking they could fix Eden.

Eden looked at Adelina in confusion. "Hearing, I don't hear anything, it was silent. Like after a storm. Storm, thunder, flooding." She muttered, rambling off on another tangent.

Adelina grabbed Eden's hand. "What about the storm? Tell me about the storm."

Eden nodded. "It was a stormy night. I was eight. We were in a high risk zone but daddy didn't listen. The house flooded and Chase." She stopped, tearing up. "Chase grabbed me from my bed in the middle of the night. The water was up to his waist. My feet got wet as he carried me through the house. He left daddy to drown. The next morning our house was lost." She spoke softly, eyes were full of tears.

Adelina squeezed her hand reassuringly. "It's okay. Go back to the wall. What did you see in the wall?" She spoke.

"Scenes, lots of scenes. So many scenes. Too many scenes." She muttered, looking around quickly before rubbing her eyes again.

Adelina nodded. "Focus, can you focus on a scene?" She questioned. Adelina's stomach growled.

"Hunger, food, food comes from the kitchen." Eden sputtered, hands twitching.

Adelina nodded. "Think about food. Can you focus on the scene?" She inquired.

"A girl and a woman are making cookies. Sugar cookies. They're decorating them. A man comes along and snags one. The girl moves her hand and sends a thing of frosting at him." She replied. "Frosting, sugar. Diabetes. Low blood sugar leads to coma." She rambled.

Adelina grasped both of Edens hands, leaning forward to look the girl directly in the eyes. "Work through it. Who went into a coma?"

Eden shook her head, starting to tear up again. "Mom, I was seven. Chase tried to call 911 but daddy smacked him and threw the phone across the room. Bam. The phone shatters. Mom lies of the floor shaking. She died from low blood sugar. Daddy was angry very angry." She shook her head.

Adelina pulled Eden into a hug. "It's okay. Eden. That's enough for now. Breathe. You can relax now. Well work on it more later." She reassured, rubbing Eden's back.

Chase and Henri came through the door with bags. Chase saw Eden and Adelina and dropped his bags. "What happened?" He demanded.

Kat held up her hands and stepped between Chase and Adelina. "Relax, her legacy got the better of her." She remarked.

Adelina helped Eden up. "Come on let's get you to bed Eden, you'll feel better after you sleep." She suggested, helping Eden to the master bedroom.

Henri rubbed the back of his neck. "Well this is going to be fun. I thought the whole point of bringing her was for her to shed some light on this case." He spoke awkwardly.

Cecilia shrugged. "Well she was struggling to find anything to latch on to. Maybe she got overloaded. But we have time. Maybe she'll feel better tomorrow."

Kat gave Cecilia a knowing look. "You hope. If not we're at another dead end."

* * *

Katarina twirled the red crystal in her hand. "So what are the conversation topics of the day ladies and gentlemen?" She questioned, red crystal pulsating in her hand.

"That Ceci is a horrible human being for leaving me completely alone just in time for Katherine's group to join us. Traitor." Casey huffed.

Cecilia snorted. "Aw poor baby. He has to run the camp all by his little self." She mocked. "Besides, why don't you ask Gia for help?" She chuckled.

"Because Casey never asks for help. The world would come to an end before he did so." Riley quipped.

"Welcome to the conversation Academy." Cecilia chuckled, tossing a ball back and forth in her hands. .

"Gia isn't talking to me at the moment." Casey meekly admitted.

"What'd you do?" Echoed through the crystal, like several voices spoke at the same time.

"Gia was apologizing to me for missing training over the past several months because of all the work in reuniting camp. She said she would try better to make it to training next week and I told her not to bother." Casey explained slowly.

Kat facepalmed. "You are an absolute idiot Casey. Actually that's an insult to idiots. A complete and total ninny. No wonder she isn't talking to you. You might as well have slapped her." Kat groaned.

"I'm sorry, all your sister does is harp on me for believing she can't fight. So forgive me for trying to put an end to a Sisyphean task." Casey drawled.

"Alright children, this isn't the time for an argument. We can handle Gia later." Cecilia palacated.

Casey scoffed. "Says the woman who doesn't have to listen to her day in and day out."

Kat groaned. Here they go. She heard knocking on the basement door. She tossed the crystal at Cecilia.

"Play nice while I let Adelina and Henri in." She replied, getting up and leaving.

"I'm sorry, do you want to relinquish your position then? If your not incharge of training she won't drive you insane." Cecilia remarked, catching the crystal.

"Why can't you take five seconds out of your day and tell Gia it ain't ever happening?" Casey snapped.

"ALRIGHT!" Riley hollered. "No one likes listening to mommy and daddy bicker like a pair of little kids."

"Am not." Casey whined.

"Spoken like a true child." Cecilia remarked.

"Alright ladies and gentlemen. Squabble on your own time. What have we learned about the target?" Lexa scolded through the crystal.

"That there are actually three targets. The girl, her father, and a female target." Cecilia answered.

"We are looking for a Destiny, a Marcus, and an Evelyn." Adelina announced, walking in with Kat and Henri.

"A Nina, a Pinta, and a Santa Maria!" Henri joked.

"Evelyn? Is that just a fake name for their cover or is that her birth name?" Lexa questioned.

"The frogs didn't specify." Henri replied bluntly.

"May I recommend you look into Marcus's friends and family? Maybe there's an Evelyn in there." Kat suggested.

"On it right this second." Lexa replied sounding a little distracted.

"And the girl is the only one with legacies?" Malcolm questioned.

"That we are aware of." Kat answered.

"In his EG file it never mentions anything about him displaying legacies. He is classified as a human." Lexa added.

"So was Debra." Malcolm remarked smugly.

"Speaking of mommy and daddy fighting." Cecilia teased.

"But my grandfather makes a valid point. This dude was also in project SRI. And we don't know what caused Debra to develop legacies so for all we know everyone on the project developed legacies." Kat replied diplomatically.

"I'm pretty sure if everyone on the project got legacies the government would find out. That's a lot of people with legacies to cover up." Nine commented

"Thought you weren't there Professor. You are awfully quiet over there. Don't tell me your giving in to the government." Cecilia teased.

"Never my favorite troublemaker." Nine replied casually.

"Okay she's Evelyn Andrews, her twin brother is none other than Marcus Andrews." Lexa announced. A female gasp echoed through the crystal.

"What is it Mrs Raya?" Riley innocently questioned.

"Marcus Andrews?" Debra incredulously asked.

"I didn't stutter did I? Marcus And Evelyn Andrews are twins. Marcus has a daughter, Destiny Andrews, our target." Lexa explained semi annoyed.

"Marcus has a son too." Debra admitted.

"You know this because?" Lexa drawled.

"Because Marcus and I were in love 19 years ago. We met on project SRI. A year later I gave birth to my son. Casey Marcus Raya." Debra slowly explained. The crystal remained active but everyone went silent with the news.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Who was that?" Taylor questioned, inquisitive blonde eyebrow raised. Riley scowled at her and handed her a glass of orange juice. Riley put down her own and held her other hand on her lap out of sight.

"Someone else getting a drink. I don't know her." Riley dismissed, biting into her sausage. Taylor rolled her eyes and resumed eating her breakfast of eggs and oatmeal. Once she was sure Taylor was distracted she slowly started working on opening the crinkled piece of paper. Telekinesis was a very useful third hand. Once she got it open inside in hastily written ink was a time and location.

Hidden beach. 1:30 p.m. Come alone.

She smirked, that was after chemistry and during Dr. Linda's group therapy. She looked across the Mess Hall looking for the girl who gave it to her. She recognized her from Linda's group therapy session. Diana Octavia Abbott. Nicknamed DOA by her peers. What could she want? Besides the obvious reason of escaping Linda's therapy. Taylor finished off her oatmeal and looked up at Riley. Her blue eyes clouded with concern.

"You seem awfully quiet this morning. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine Taylor. Just don't feel like talking." Riley huffed, stabbing another sausage.

"It's okay to be a little lonely, it's been almost four months that you've been here. How about while you are here you try to make a friend or two?" Taylor suggested casually.

"I'm not making friends." Riley glared, blue eyes darkening.

"Riley you can't spend your entire time here bouncing between adults and classes." Taylor pointed out.

"I've bounced between adults every summer since I was three. Why change that now?" Riley scowled, violently stabbing another sausage. Taylor sighed and finished off her orange juice.

"Riley when I was sent here I was fifteen and completely alone. I hated being taken away from my father. I had one guy who befriended me on the way here. He made it seem less awful by just being nice to me. But if you just open yourself up to the people around you I'm sure you can make friends with some of the other students here. I did and I made friends here." Taylor encouraged.

"Don't try to act like we're are the same." Riley huffed.

"Riley just try. I promise it won't hurt." Taylor sighed, frowning at the angry teen.

"I'm going to be late to government." Riley bluntly replied, getting up and taking her tray with her. Taylor watched Riley empty her garbage into the garbage and put the tray on top. She left the Mess Hall without as much as a look in Taylor's direction.

Taylor let out a sigh and looked around the noisy Dining hall. She remembered sitting at these tables eating every meal with her cohorts. The infinite amount of flirting failures Caleb committed in this room over the three years they were all here. Kopano harassing her for the endless amount of time she spent studying anatomy here. Isabelle dismissing the boys as hopeless and swearing fluently in Portuguese. Ran making her own hard-boiled eggs and refusing to tell them how she was doing it. The random explosions of soda that Nigel was certain were Ran's fault. Nigel's unending pranks, sarcasm, and harassment.

But enough reminiscing, she had to get to the infirmary. She was placing her money on nine twenty today is when someone is going to get hurt. The green class was so cocky anymore. Just because they had all their legacies they thought were all that and a bag of chips. Most prone class to beat each other up in training though. Next to the White class, commonly known as graduating class on a given month.

* * *

Riley thoughtfully chewed on the eraser of her pencil as Malcolm droned on. She was busy with escape plans. She'd been contemplating her escape from Linda's class throughout chemistry class. Linda's room was right by the entrance of the Academic Hall and she stood by her door and greeted each individual student when they arrived for class. Linda was used to students evading her class and knew several tricks as well. Couldn't use legacies, most common method. Dr. Linda was the only teacher in the whole building who had not just one but two portable inhibitors. Well, still an inhibitor just a different type. She shuddered at the thought of the original inhibitor. But back to Linda's devices. Basically, a portable Dreyen device that nullifies all legacies within fifteen feet of it. Can one really consider Dr. Linda a teacher though? Head shrink was more like it. Focus on escaping. No legacies, no just rushing past her room (another common method), no jumping out a window, this wasn't going to be easy was it? Riley frowned at all the facts and failed strategies in her notebook. The idea slammed into her skull at lighting fast speed and she wondered why she didn't think of it first. These amateurs have so over thought this. The answer was so simple she felt stupid for a moment before setting to work. She was familiar with this strategy for it worked on her old teachers back at Rose Cross. She'd just finished working out the details of her plan when the bell rang and Malcolm dismissed them. Riley darted out of chemistry and casually walked to Linda's class just like usual.

"Good afternoon Riley." Linda greeted, standing outside her door.

"Good afternoon Dr. Linda, can I put my stuff in here and then go to the bathroom?" Riley asked casually.

"Of course, be back soon." Linda nodded, her face relaxed into a small grin. She pushed her glasses up when she looked up at Riley.

"Thanks," Riley spoke, dropping her stuff at a random desk. She left the short and gray-haired woman for the bathroom. Once inside she waited for the bell. The bell should ring in another minute or so and then everyone will be trapped with the lovely Dr. Linda Matheson. At least all the people brought in between May twenty-eighth and June thirteenth. There were thirteen captured in that time span. May seventh through fourteenth was divided up into seven classes. Each day had approximately ten to fifteen students in it. May seventh was the day the refugee camp fell and lost one hundred teens. Riley was captured a little over a month later. She was captured on June twelfth. It'd seemed like a long enough time since the second bell rang. The hallway was deserted now which was perfect. She slipped out of the building and headed down the path for the beach. A little invisibility should make sure no one asked questions as she wandered across campus. Never can be too cautious.

* * *

The sun felt nice as she wandered through the paths until they ended and the grass began. All beefy girl with a brown bun was standing near the end of the dirt path to the beach. Her cut off shorts, ripped tank top, and bare feet were obvious enough clues. The girl had just come from a training class and by the looks of it a pretty rough one. Her right cheek was purple, her upper left arm was bandaged, and her legs were scrapped up and peppered in bruises. The most noticeable bruise was the big purple one on her neck as if someone had tried to choke her.

"You've come alone?" Diana stonily asked, crossing her arms.

"Duh, what is this about?" Riley huffed. Feet firmly planted on the dirt and arms tightly crossed.

"We have a few questions for you. But first doesn't Linda's class make you tired? Or the calming sound of the ocean?" Diana calmly questioned. Riley felt a familiar pressure in her skull. She rolled her eyes and blocked it out. Sensior wasn't hard to ignore once you were used to it.

"I've felt stronger urges and deflected stronger attempts." Riley drawled. Diana's hunter green eyes widened. Then she shook her head and frowned. "Everyone falls for it. How?" Diana started.

"One of the people I used to know was very good at Sensior. He was incredibly skilled and as a joke repeatedly tried it on me." Riley explained, voice sharp like a razor. She had seriously escaped Linda's class for this? What a waste of effort.

"Well come on before anyone sees us and we both get busted. The punishment is a cruel sentence. Death would be better than a whole extra hour-long one on one session with Dr. Linda." Diana impatiently huffed, heading down the beach. With a confused look, Riley followed her down the beach and out of sight of the academy.

Eventually, they came into the sight of a log, a well-built guy was sprawled on it tossing a rock back and forth with his telekinesis. He appeared to be bored.

"About time Diana." He offhandedly commented.

"Oh shut up. Like you do any better." She huffed.

"I've been here since class got out. Dr. Linda's class is a bore. And that woman treats me like I'm blind and stupid. I'm kind of irked you decided to have this meeting during your Linda session." He drawled, snatching the stone out of the air. Riley thought she saw a glint of cobalt blue.

"Well, she isn't exactly wrong." Diana quipped. The boy sat up and rested his arms in his lap.

"How about we discuss your condition after training and then who the new girl is?" He suggested in a tone that was not a suggestion.

"I hate you." She glared.

"I can't help that I see more than you'll ever see." He nonchalantly shrugged as if it was beyond his control.

"Remember, Sophia has an inquisitive mind and this gets her off my case for a while." Diana irritatedly reminded.

"Ah, the queen of the academy. You know she'll never be off your case right?" He chuckled. "So what do we need of the new girl? She seems to be pretty irritated and pretty strong." He smirked, turning to look at Riley. That was when Riley saw his face and his eyes. His eyes were a startling gray like stone but they weren't really focused. Also, she noticed honey brown curls hung in his eyes and he didn't brush them out of the way.

"That didn't take long. Never usually does. But given your father's condition, you should be used to handicapped people." The boy gave her a mischievous grin.

"My father isn't handicapped," Riley argued, tensing up.

"Neither am I. Glad we can come to that conclusion." He nodded in agreement. Diana snorted and kicked at the sand.

"So where's your better halves?" Diana inquired.

"I was hoping you knew were Archer was but my brother got busted by Nine I believe." The boy replied casually. As if nothing in the world mattered to him.

"Ouch, escaping him is gonna hurt, literally," Diana replied.

"Where's princess?" The boy teased. Diana laughed at him.

"As if she'd skip out on class."

"If you two are done?" Riley scowled.

"How rude of us to talk like your not here. Blame DOA over there." He teased.

Diana rolled her eyes and him. "Why do I tolerate you?"

"Because I'm better company than her royal highness." He puckered his lips at her.

"Screw you, Dr. Phil." Diana scoffed, turning on heel. She stalked off away from them.

"With pleasure sweetie!" He called. He turned back to Riley.

"Forgive my stormy partner in crime. We just want to get to know you better. You're like the biggest loner on campus. So how's it feel to not have legacies anymore?" He inquired bluntly.

"You really have no tact do you?" Riley questioned.

"Tact is a waste of time and energy." He scoffed, shrugging nonchalantly.

"Can I get your name at least?" Riley asked, dropping her coldness.

"Phil, and you?" He retorted.

"Riley, but don't you know that?" Riley raised an eyebrow at him.

"I know your Riley Lexa Worthington, daughter of Nine and Elaine Worthington. Your parents divorced when you were two and your mother remarried when you were three to Matt Sager. You have run away from your mother a total of sixty-five times in your life. You physically and mentally take after your father. Shall I continue?" He smirked again at her.

"Hacker?" Riley scowled. Why did she always find the hackers?

"That's a negative but my brother is. Boy wonder is his nickname." Phil replied casually.

"You are certainly different." Riley chuckled, covering her mouth to hide it. "So are you. A less observant person might not even realize that the cure didn't exactly work on you." He remarked. Riley froze. She hadn't even thought about using her legacy. How'd he know?

"Relax, I'll keep your secret and you keep mine. I got the faculty believing I only have telekinesis. Amateurs." He chuckled. For the first time in weeks, Riley laughed.

"Glad I can amuse. So shall we stay here and discuss life? I make much better company than Diana or the others." He suggested. Riley felt herself smile.

"If you don't want to talk we can listen to the world around us. It is fascinating to just sit here." He offered. Riley sat down next to him on the log.

"Let's listen then."

* * *

"This is our humble table. I swear even if it doesn't seem it right now none of them bite." Phil joked, setting his tray down on the table across from a younger boy. Riley chuckled and sat down next to him with her tray. The boy seemed at least a year younger with wild brown curls. His eyes were focused on a computer screen as he ate.

"Princess always bites but eventually you've bled so much you stop noticing." He commented absentmindedly.

"Meet my younger brother Atlas, boy wonder." Phil introduced.

"Nice to meet you Atlas." Riley nodded, giving a small wave. Atlas jumped and looked up to face her.

"It's her." He gasped, baby blue eyes going wide with awe. "Pinch me I'm dreaming." He wistfully sighed, dreamily looking at Riley. She frowned in concern. Atlas let out a yelp in pain. In his alarm, he hit his plate and it went flying. It the girl standing behind him getting ready to sit down. "Today just isn't my day is it?" The girl sighed, looking down at the spilled trays.

"Sorry, Kaya." Atlas flinched as if expecting to be slapped.

"Que te folle un pez." The girl muttered, picking up the trays and stalking off. This girl was a change from the others she'd met so far. Her skin was the color of coffee and her hair was inky black waves cascading down her back. She was tall, still shorter than Riley but tall by regular standards. She had good muscle tone to her as she marched back towards the food line. "I'm pretty sure she enjoys my language legacy for that reason," Atlas commented bluntly before returning to his computer.

"What was that?" Phil chuckled.

"Something about a fish." Riley quipped.

"Nothing you guys need to worry about. Just some colorful language from our friend Kaya."

"Colorful? It looked like she could murder you right now." Diana remarked, sitting down on the other side of Phil. "She's still here? I would've thought by now you'd scare her off." Diana quipped, smirking at Phil.

"I can crush your foot just as well as I can Atlas's." He reminded.

"I can kick you across the Dining Hall just like I can Atlas." She retorted, voice like ice.

"If you have a problem Diana how about we duke it out later? Rec field?" He offered.

"You're on blind mouse." She huffed.

"I'm so scared I'm shaking. Can't you tell?" He mocked.

Riley chuckled and started on her chicken tenders. "Ignore them. Until madame President arrives they'll be at it." Atlas shrugged, never looking up from his computer.

"I thought she preferred to be a queen or princesa?" Kaya questioned, Spanish accent slipping out. She sat down next to Atlas and handed him a tray before putting down her own.

"I believe she's a dictator." Atlas huffed, french fry floating into his mouth. "Only because you let her amigo," Kaya remarked casually, stealing the chicken tenders of his plate.

"Fifty-fifty?" Atlas suggested.

"Sixty forty." Kaya corrected.

"Fine but I keep my French fries." Atlas relented.

"Muchas gracias amigo. You've bought yourself protection for the next twelve hours." Kaya teased.

"Protection? Who do I need protection from?" Atlas huffed, puffing his small chest out proudly.

"Sophia mi amigo." She smirked, ruffling his hair.

"Sophia will never touch me. I can handle myself just fine." Atlas scoffed, brushing her off.

"We'll see mi amigo." Kaya chuckled.

"Phil!" Atlas whined.

"Phil is busy arguing with Diana right now." Riley quipped.

"Hey is this the chick princess wants to talk to? Figure out how she fits in around here if she has no legacies?" Kaya questioned.

"I could've answered that one. It would've saved us so much trouble. Because of her daddy. Why else would she always be surrounded by faculty?" Diana drawled, rolling her dark green eyes. Her tone was clearly full of annoyance. Phil snorted and elbowed Diana.

"Be nice." He chided.

"This is all your fault." A young girl scoffed, walking over.

"How is this my fault? If I remember correctly you are the guilty party." A young boy almost identical to her pointedly remarked. They both had curly chestnut brown hair and large grass-green eyes. He was walking behind her as they approached.

"What were you thinking? Oh, wait you weren't you absolute troglodyte!" The girl exclaimed, slamming her tray down on the other side of Atlas.

"I had a plan." The boy insisted, slamming his tray down next to Diana.

"A plan to get yourself killed. You have to be absolutely suicidal to even consider it." She hissed across the table.

"Good evening Demi how's it going? I'm doing good. How about you? That's great tell me about your day." Atlas muttered to no one important.

Riley stifled a laugh as he resumed eating and typing.

"Are you ever going to let me live this down?" The boy huffed.

"Absolutely not. Once we've suffered our punishment I might. I could also kill you in your sleep!" The girl demanded, leaning forward.

"Alright, you two! Put a sock in it before her royal majesty gets here! If you two tick her off we're all going to suffer the consequences!" Kaya exclaimed. "And if I have to suffer the fury of Sophia your gonna wish you'd died. Are we clear?" Kaya nonchalantly threatened.

"Or wish you'd been spooned by a fish." Atlas quipped, a mischievous smirk on his face. Kaya slapped him muttering more colorful language.

"Te voy a pegar tan fuerte que tus dientes van a salir de tu boca como palomitas de maíz." Atlas snorted at the phrase being the only one to understand it.

"But I still have all my teeth amiga," Atlas smirked.

"You wanna push it there pretty boy?" Kaya raised an eyebrow, mischievous look playing over he features.

"How sweet she thinks I'm pretty." Atlas teased.

"Tocapelota." Kaya hissed at him.

"Love you too sweetie." Atlas grinned.

"So what's the major malfunction thing one and two?" Kaya questioned, ignoring Atlas.

"In an act of great stupidity, he pranked Professor Nine after class. I just happened to be leaving when he got busted and therefore I got busted to because I was in the vicinity as my idiot of a brother." The girl glared across the table at the boy. The boy seemed to be busy shoveling food into his mouth.

"Punishment?" Kaya questioned. Phil and Diana seemed to be quietly bickering with each other regardless of the others.

"We have to have a one on one session with him after dinner which is why dumbbell over there shouldn't be stuffing his face." The girl scoffed.

"But I'm hungry!" The boy protested with his mouth full of food.

"Moron." She scoffed. Kaya sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

"How about you two call a truce before boss lady eventually shows up. She seems to be running late this evening."

"Meet Demi and Archer. Thing one and thing two." Atlas supplemented for Riley.

"Speaking of princess where is she?" Diana questioned.

"It's almost half an hour into the dinner period and she ain't here? Must've gotten into something." Phil chuckled. Kaya rolled her eyes at him.

"Maybe we'll get lucky and not have a meal with her. Wouldn't that be fun?" Atlas questioned.

"As I said, mi amigo. If you'd grow a pair then maybe she wouldn't be such a problem." Kaya reminded.

"Maybe if you weren't such a multilingual swearer she'd stay off your case as well." Atlas helplessly shrugged.

"Admit it. Until we're all proper ladies and gentlemen that is never happening. This place isn't meant for proper people but for fighting." Phil casually stated. Kaya and Diana both snorted.

"Thank goodness I don't room with her." They spoke unanimously.

"But we have to be right next door." Demi sighed.

"Look, alive people, I see our tyrannical leader making her way through the crowds," Kaya advised.

"So help us." Demi squeaked.

"I believe I'm going to go serve my punishment early. What do you say, Demi?" Archer suggested, grabbing his tray.

"Excellent." She spit out, grabbing her tray. Kaya grabbed her arm and Diana grab his.

"You two park it. Nobody is jumping ship. We shall all live or die together." Phil replied. Riley looked behind her towards the food line and tried to figure out who princess was.

"Look for someone trying out for Miss America." Atlas quietly commented. Riley stifled a laugh and kept looking. Then she saw her or at least prayed she was wrong. The girl making her way towards them was a little small but perfectly proportioned. She kind of looked like a Barbie doll from her flawless skin to her perfect hair and makeup to her perfect outfit. Golden blonde hair was done in a perfect plait down her back. Her frilly pink blouse was something never seen on academy grounds before as far as Riley was concerned. This chick reminded Riley of Penelope from her school. Glad to know nothing changed no matter what school one was in.

"Americans have no respect for culture. It's all brutish violence to them." She huffed, taking her seat next to Demi. Demi let out a small squeak and looked down at her food.

"What took you so long your highness?" Phil casually inquired.

"Weren't you listening, monsieur? Americans have no class or appreciation of true culture." She scoffed, scowling at him like he was the bane of her existence.

"Let me guess you're in trouble with Professor Nine again aren't you?" Kaya asked, her smirk giving away her knowledge of the answer.

"Yeah, she was right after us." Archer helpfully added.

"Reading in class again are we?" Phil teased.

"Pride and the prejudice and yet she never ever gets injured." Atlas huffed, disdainfully rolling his eyes at them.

"I refuse to participate in that tomfoolery of a class. I refuse to lower myself to those mindless brutes and partake in such senseless violence." She scoffed. So help Riley she even had a snotty tone when she spoke. Riley was now starting to regret talking to these people. As always she seemed to fall into the crowd that socialized with the queen bee. How to escape?

"So you did succeed in befriending the girl without legacies. I hadn't noticed her yet." Sophia finally looked in Riley's direction. It took one up and down look before her face contorted into a look of disdain.

"Sorry I didn't look at you this entire time. The sight of you was slowly melting my eyes." Riley drawled, giving the girl her best fake smile. She heard several snorts around the table.

"So much drabber than I realized. A lot like her father actually." Sophia spoke in a condescending tone. Riley rolled her sapphire eyes at the snot.

"Alright, Barbie what do you want so I can remove myself from your presence? Your perfume is slowly suffocating me." Riley inquired in the blandest tone.

Sophia seemed a little taken aback. "Well fine then. I'd hope we could make friends."

Riley let out a barking laugh. "Friends? I don't like to make friends with your type. Way too prissy and girly for my taste."

"I see. So why are you here if you don't have legacies? With that awful cure and all." Sophia questioned, still sounding condescending.

"As your _lapdog_, Diana said earlier the answer is mighty simple. Because of my father." Riley answered sharply.

Sophia straightened her already straight as a rod back. "But isn't it dangerous for someone without legacies to live among students who have legacies?" She inquired curiously, feigning concern.

"You saying I can't defend myself?" Riley retorted defensively.

"I'm just saying that no wonder your always with a faculty member. They're like your bodyguards. It makes complete sense if you think about it. Daddy doesn't believe you can handle yourself and makes sure you always have a babysitter to get you out of trouble. You certainly have a knack for getting yourself in trouble, don't you? Even before you got legacies and lost them." Sophia mused, her tone sickeningly concerned.

If only Riley believes that the girl could be concerned about anything besides herself.

"Alright, princess how about you knock off the fake pity act before I launch you across this hall?" Riley growled, leaning forward.

"I was just curious. No need to be so rash. We are all civilized people here. Minus Kaya." Sophia placated, elegantly gesturing with her perfectly manicured hands.

"Excuse me?" Kaya leaned forward around Atlas to scowl at the girl.

"I'm sure you've already learned that Kaya has a horrible mouth that just gets away from her frequently. You've probably already learned about the sarcasm and lack of good humor from Atlas and Phil."

"It's good humor to everyone besides you." Phil forced a pleasant smile.

"It's dreadfully awful joking about your disability. Your brother at least is usually glued to his computer. And then there's Diana's horrible sense of feminine fashion." Sophia continued her own version of an introduction. "And that's the thanks I get for skipping Linda's class today. Do you even care that now I'll get detention with that woman?" Diana irritatedly questioned.

"Oh, hush now darling no one cares." Sophia dismissed with a wave of her hand. "And then there's Archer and Demi. Demi is my biggest failure and Archer is such a brute he is hopeless. Why can't I find a Mr. Darby here or even a Lancelot? There are no chivalrous men anymore." She scoffed, throwing her nose up in the air.

"Probably because this isn't 1895 or the twelfth century." Riley quipped, mischievously grinning at the snotty girl.

Atlas snorted. Phil and Kaya both laughed at the comment.

"I like this chica. Can we keep her?" Kaya inquired, hazel eyes lit up with mirth.

"I second that notion." Phil motioned with his hand like he was voting.

"You are all hopelessly uncultured swine." Sophia huffed, scowling them with incredible disdain.

"There are chivalrous men still out there but they aren't into snotty rich bimbos who believe the world is beneath them and worthless," Riley remarked with a hint of glee. She got several snorts and stifled laughs from that.

"You are worse than that uncultured brute of a father you came from." Sophia snapped impatiently. Disapproving looking completely focused on Riley. Riley's whole body tensed.

"Say one more word about my father and you'll learn just how helpless I am, princess." Riley hissed through clenched teeth.

"Alright, no more arguments for this meal. I believe we've had enough animosity and poor fellowship for one night." Phil recommended. If looks could kill Sophia might've just killed the blinded teen right then and there. Riley quietly sat there and ate her dinner. It was dead silent for the rest of the time. As if the conversation had just become a fully armed minefield that could go off at the slightest movement.

* * *

_What are you guys doing after dinner?_ Riley questioned. She was still at the table in the Mess Hall. Sophia, Demi, and Archer had all left for different places.

_Bossman is running late so meet up at Malcolm's lab. We got trouble and not the good kind._ Lexa answered sternly.

_On it_, Riley replied.

_It all makes sense now._ A new voice echoed in her head. Riley looked at Phil in alarm. Atlas was still staring at his laptop, furiously typing away. Kaya was watching whatever he was doing, mumbling quietly to him. Diana was reading a book, studiously ignoring them. She stood up and grabbed his ear. He yanked out of her loose grip and smirked at her.

"A word alone Dr. Phil?" Riley inquired authoritatively.

"Of course. Shall we take this outside?" He suggested. They weaved through the tables and outside to the cool fresh air. The minute he was out the door Riley was on him. In a flash she had him pinned against the stucco wall. She kept an arm at his throat.

"Alright wise guy. Explain yourself. How on earth do you know?" Riley demanded fiercely.

"I seem to have struck a nerve haven't I?" Phil smirked, tone light and teasing.

"I can make sure you have no more nerves if you don't start talking." Riley hissed.

"For a girl with no legacies you are pretty daring aren't you? How do you know I won't kick your butt?" Phil inquired teasingly.

"Because you seem to be a guy who relies on people underestimating him." Riley challenged. By the time she realized her words, it was too late. The blind boy grinned at her, like a predator. In an instant, he had her in his ironclad grip and threw her to the ground.

"I love it when people don't think before they open their mouths. I know lots of things ya know. I know that you have legacies still. I know Colonel Arnold abused his daughter until she ran away. I know that the monthly capture the science teacher games have been being canceled the past few months because Professor Nine is concerned that EG wants to use a cure gun prototype on the students. I know that Dr. Linda has a hidden recorder in her office that records everything her patients say. Occasionally she may even blackmail a student or two. I know all sorts of things sweet cakes. But don't you ever think you can bully me again like that. We clear?" He asked, the carefree tone gone having been replaced with a more arrogant and authoritative one. Riley spit on the grass. He tightened his grip on her wrists. It felt like they were going to snap under his grip.

"You aren't a fast learner are you sweet cheeks?" He mockingly questioned. "Don't call me sweet cheeks." Riley hissed. In one quick motion, there was a loud pop and Riley's left arm went into agony. Riley hissed in pain but did not scream. He released her and crouched on the grass. Riley got to her feet and glared at him.

"I'll remember this. I'm keeping my eye on you."

"Hey, I won't snitch. I hear lots of things I wish I didn't. Everybody has a secret and it isn't my right to give them away." He replied casually, holding his hands up in surrender.

"But you're in the tweeb class?" Riley questioned, cradling her left wrist.

"And you don't have legacies. Your point?" He retorted. Riley was so lost with the boy. He was calm one moment, breaks her wrist the next, and then back to the laid back wise guy. It was confusing.

"I'll see you at breakfast tomorrow with everybody else?" He questioned.

"If you promise never to manhandle me again." Riley huffed, holding her broken wrist to her chest.

LSorry sweet cheeks. Someone had to put you in your place. Can only have one entitled snobby girl in my life." Phil casually shrugged like it was nothing.

"Whatever." Riley sighed, walking away. Making friends was certainly something, successful may not be the word to use though. Why were people so weird?

* * *

Riley pounded up the stairs into the deck. Nine was busy down in the gym with Demi and Archer. They looked beat and it'd only been twenty minutes since they left after dinner. She walked into the lab and felt the tension in the air. Lexa was rapidly typing away on her laptop, intensely focused on her screen. Malcolm was busy at his monitors, Riley guessed what he was looking at was the different samples. Taylor looked up from her pile of paperwork. "Nice wrist and bruises. What'd you do?"

"Why do you always assume it's me?" Riley groaned.

"Because cocky is another trait you have and cocky is how most people end up in the infirmary," Taylor remarked, standing up.

"You suck." Riley sighed.

"Come on, does the woman that's going to heal them before your father sees them really suck?" Taylor teased, grabbing Riley's wrists. Riley sighed and relented to Taylor.

"What makes her different from Cecilia?" Malcolm mused, studying his monitors.

"About a decade." Riley bluntly commented. Taylor stifled a laugh.

"Let the professor mumbled to his monitors and let Lexa curse at hers."

It was Riley's turn to chuckle now. The cold feeling of Taylor's touched healing the damage Phil inflicted.

"Malcolm's private server was hacked during dinner but nothing seems to be missing yet," Taylor explained.

"The private private server?" Riley cautiously questioned.

"No, just his private work server." Taylor corrected, walking back over to her seat at a table.

"It's clean, the only thing is that according to my scans your log of legacies has been downloaded from the cloud to another server. I'm going to try doing a trace on the server now. We'll see if I get far" Lexa announced. Malcolm dismissively waved her comment away.

"Your welcome." Lexa scowled over her monitor.

"Malcolm's in the zone or baffled. When he comes out of it or gives up he'll thank you." Taylor chuckled.

Lexa scoffed. "Yeah and I'm Pittacus Lore." She grumbled into her monitor.

"He make any progress?" Riley questioned.

"Some but not much." Taylor sighed.

"I'm sure he'll figure it out." Riley's smiled. "John make a twenty-four turn around? I didn't think Malcolm would have his samples so soon."

"It's easier when both his destinations are in the same state. If you want you can go keep him company in your father's cabin." Taylor offered. Lexa punched the desk and cursed in a foreign language. Malcolm jumped and then glared over his glasses at her.

"Do you mind? Kind of working on saving the world over here."

"Oh shut up. I'm trying to figure out who on earth hacked you if you don't mind." Lexa hissed, shooting daggers at him.

"How is me being hacked my fault? You keep acting like it is." Malcolm argued, crossing his arms and making a full turn to face her.

"Just shut up and study your samples, Bill Nye." Lexa snapped.

"Keep it down over there then." Malcolm retorted, turning back to his work. Taylor sighed.

"Alright, we're all a little on edge so how about we call a truce before I have to physically separate you two."

"That's my cue to leave." Riley mock saluted before turning to leave. They all seemed a little stressed out, in there. But who could first of all outhack Lexa and secondly who would want the Log of Legacies?


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Lame." Kat grumbled, thunking her head on the table.

Cecilia snorted and leaned back in her chair. "It's definitely got potential. How'd you get the Garde to agree?"

Gia snorted. "Casey I believe this is your pet project." She remarked. "While I've got the hackers unite over here" She gave him a pointed look over her laptop.

A chuckle echoed out of the floating globe next to her. Casey gave Cecilia a cheesy grin and held up his hands in innocence. "Hear me out before you shoot me down." He replied cautiously.

Cecilia smirked and folded her hands, leaning forward and resting her elbows on the table. "This ought to be good." She remarked with a grin.

Casey smiled and sat up. "We've been discussing steps to take towards preparing to take the Academy right? Becoming a united front that EG should fear and taking the Academy is a major operation." He started awkwardly. "And some people have been belly aching about not being allowed to fight." He shot a look at Gia who paid him no attention. "So I was thinking and your sister's helped me work out all the details of this plan. What if we have a giant war game basically. Like people has to work together for a common goal. It'd show who is better at what. That way we know where to put certain people when it comes to the actual attack. So what do you think so far?" He questioned worriedly, biting his lip.

Cecilia seemed to contemplate it. "Keep talking Casey. It sounds interesting." She nodded in agreement.

Casey clapped his hands together. "Awesome. Also we could do a major testing of the backdoor to make sure it works for everyone. Also through this exercise we will have Six, which I know you've been trying to get her to lead training for a while now. And after this challenge she'll become the head of training with me as an assistant." He excitedly explained.

Cecilia smiled encouragingly. "Wow Casey, I'm impressed you actually came up with this. This event would take place in the Himalayas I presume then? Since were testing the backdoor." She questioned.

Casey nodded. "Six, can you take over?" He questioned, looking at the black haired woman sitting with Gia and Sam.

"Basically your people are in for the time of their lives. Garde take training very seriously." She smirked.

Sam snorted as he typed away on his computer. "I hope you got your healers on standby." He commented with a knowing grin.

Six chuckled. "Like you know anything about our training. You didn't get hardcore training." She teased, smirking at her husband across the table.

"Nah, manifesting during the war was hardcore enough." He remarked, never losing his focus on the computer.

Kat let out another groan. "Can we please move on from my parents flirting?" Another laugh came through the floating globe.

"That's why I'm impressed you don't have a whole gaggle of kids at the rate you to go at it. Can't keep your hands off each other." Nine's teasing voice remarked through the global.

"Nine be a dear and shut up. Hackers are talking." Lexa spoke jokingly.

Nine choked on something. "By the elders, you sound like Issy."

There was a scoff. "Don't even." Lexa threatened.

Cecilia clapped her hands. "Alright kiddies. Back to topics at hand. How's the hackers unite going down there?" She questioned, looking at Gia.

"Tedious work, but making progress. Lexa? Dad? Either of you getting anywhere?" She questioned.

"May I ask a question or am I just to shut up too?" Riley questioned, the globes light pulsating as she talked.

"Speak." Cecilia chuckled, leaning back in her chair.

"What is this lead you folks got? I thought this was a leadless case?" She questioned curiously. Lexa snorted but stayed quiet.

Cecilia chuckled. "Well there garbage was educational honestly. An empty tube of professional hair color. Level five." She answered.

"Which for you uncultured swine is basically brown. It's the dead center of the hair color scale." Six added, toying with the empty tube.

"But it wasn't fresh, thing was at the bottom of the garbage can. But it's something and honestly we got nothing better." Gia remarked, typing away furiously.

"Gia, Evelyn was a licensed hair dresser before her death ten years ago. She died in a fire at her salon shortly after Destiny broke out." Lexa replied.

"Okay so obviously she's not dead. I'm impressed EG didn't pick up in that. How convenient for her to have died in a fire shortly after her niece broke out and her brother and niece went on the run." Six drawled.

"No one is saying EG is smart." Casey pointed out.

Gia let out a triumphant cheer. "Done in by hair color." She snickered. "I tracked its serial number to Cosmoprof in Rosemary Heights, and then long story short hacked the security camera." She gleefully explained. She swiped her finger across the screen. "Coming to you in a sec dad." She remarked.

Sam chuckled and opened the file onto his laptop. "Alright, let's work some magic." He cracked his knuckles before typing away.

Gia kept typing away. "Lexa, you feeling like hacking? Once my father cleans up the security feed it's coming your way for facial recognition." She spoke.

"Got it. Why me though?" Lexa inquired.

Gia smirked. "EG has the best facial recognition software ever and with your skill you'll have her in no time. Besides you can cast a wider net than I And not set off any alarm bells." Gia explained simply.

"Coming your way Lexa." Sam spoke, clicking a button and leaning back. The globe was silent for a minute.

"Message received. I'm on it ladies and gentlemen. Let's see what I can find." She replied.

"You did all that just now?" Casey questioned, gawking at Gia.

Gia rolled her hazel eyes at him. "Imbecile, I've been working on it for the past few days." She huffed.

"I'm not god either." Lexa commented suddenly."We've been at this for a few days. Give me a little bit. I got program a little before setting facial recognition to work. I gotta hack into a lot of camera feeds before it can work. So I can run it to search for her face in the camera or every Cosmoprof. Hopefully I'll get a more recent hit because the tube was obviously not recently bought." Lexa explained.

"Well then shall we reconvene tomorrow?" Cecilia questioned curiously, stretching.

"First, why is my partner in crime on this side of the Pacific?" Nine chuckled.

"Took a position as leader in training HG's. How's it felt to be sloppy seconds twice now?" She spoke teasingly.

"Who has the paying job?" Nine shot back.

"Who has the uncured children?" Six retorted.

"Who's child led to the crack in the cure?" Nine sniped.

"Who still has all their limbs?" Six smirked. Sam snorted.

"Children, the point of this call was business reasons not for you to argue over who's better." Lexa teasingly scolded.

"Alright until tomorrow Lexa. Disconnect this call before my mother and Nine continue this argument." Gia remarked, giving her mother a stern look over her laptop.

"It'll be my pleasure." Lexa chuckled, severing the call.

I am soooooo sorry. I swear now this should go back to weekly uploads. I now don't school so that should help. Thanks for reading! Reviews are always appreciated.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Riley bounded over another wall in the inactive obstacle course and launched another icicle behind her. John flipped over it and was on the wall before the one she was on. The icicle stuck into the wall of the obstacle course, earning them both a glare from dark eyes.

"Watch where you two are aiming." Lexa huffed, before setting back to work on the exposed wiring.

"Sorry Lexa, hazards of the job." John chuckled, holding up his callused hands.

"Don't make her angry because I still have to live with her." Riley teased, hands on her hips.

"If I remember correctly that was your icicle." John remarked, wiping the sweat off his forehead. Riley giggled and leapt off the wall she was standing on, feet slamming into the gym floor. She hugged the wall and willed invisibility to kick in. John came sailing over the wall and landed on all fours like a cat. He bounced to his feet and scanned his surroundings. "Where did she go so fast?"

Riley decided to attempt using two legacies at once again. She slipped over to the nearest gym wall and started walking up it. She was in the center of the gym ceiling when she felt ambitious again. Why not impress her future teacher and use three legacies at once? Sonic manipulation was used to manipulate sound. It'd be easier than cloning. That one would take too much focus.

"Over here!" Riley shouted, making it echo from everywhere. Sonic manipulation was harder than it sounded. John looked around equally impressed and confused.

"Your daughter is crafty Nine I'll give you that."

"Crafty?" Riley huffed, forgetting to make it echo.

"Nice try Riley." John chuckled, becoming airborne.

Riley knew if she ran across the ceiling he would hear her footsteps. She had one option. Flight, which she had never been able to achieve. She closed her eyes, kicked away from the ceiling, and felt herself falling. I am like a feather, I can float, I am light and fluffy. She didn't feel the ground so she opened her eyes. She was suspended in midair inches from the ground and managed to stay invisible. She held back her excitement.

"Okay Riley I concede to your skill." John announced, floating up by the center of the ceiling. Riley slowly tried moving upward, it was shaky and she almost fell out of the air again. She was glad she was invisible so that they couldn't see her struggle. She eventually figured herself and headed for John Smith, who was actually lowering himself to the floor.

Riley awkwardly went forward, after only flipping herself once. She plowed right into him and then into the floor. Riley squealed with glee as she caught her breath.

"No conceding." She giggled playfully.

"Excellent job Ri! You've defeated the great and powerful Pittacus Lore!" Nine hollered from the obstacle course.

Riley could hear Lexa cracking up from within the obstacle course. Debra looked confused by the joke but chuckled anyway. Riley flopped off John and let out a satisfied sigh.

"This Ximic stuff is exhausting." She admitted, throwing an arm over her eyes as she caught her breath. She hadn't realized until now how out of breath she was. John chuckled and sat up.

"Don't worry it'll get better. Especially if we can get the cure permanently out of your system." John encouraged.

"Malcolm's too distracted with his anomaly to work on the cure." Riley huffed, getting up. She grabbed her water from her bag on the floor by the stairs.

"Lorien works in mysterious ways Riley. You never know what Malcolm might discover." John smirked. A metal hand appeared on the top edge of the outer wall of the obstacle course. Nine pulled himself up over, all fours landing on the hardwood floor.

"How's it feel to be beat by my offspring Johnny?" Nine quipped, a victorious smirk crossing his face.

"Jealous Nine?" John retorted, grinning.

"Bring it Johnny boy. I can still kick your butt any day of the week." Nine challenged, approaching John.

"Well I wouldn't want you to be at a disadvantage." John casually pointed out, shrugging like it didn't matter.

"Disability? Excuse me?" Nine inquired, tapping John's chest with his hand.

"I'm just saying that it'd be an unfair fight." John chuckled, holding his hands up in innocence.

"That's right, it'd be an unfair fight for you. I'm gonna kick your butt back to the ruins of Lorien." Nine teasingly pushed John away.

"Bring it Professor." John encouraged, motioning with his hands.

"Pittacus Lore 2.0 and his wannabe knock it off. When the war is over you two can duke it out once and for all. Meanwhile, Pittacus has a student to mentor and his wannabe needs to get back over here. Obstacle course won't fix itself." Lexa spoke in an annoyed yet authoritative tone. But her eyes gave away her true feelings of amusement. Just like Riley she had been amused by Nine and John's rivalry.

Back in the good old days they used to harass each other all the time. Nine Loric children because their were Nine Loric elders on the council. Supposedly each child was to take the place of one of the elders once they defeated the Mogadorians. From what Riley understood Pittacus Lore was basically god to the Loric so it was debated among the remaining Loric which one was him. Nine believed it was him until John developed Ximic as his final legacy. Pittacus Lore had Ximic so it was pretty obvious that John was his replacement. But by that hypothesis, did that make Riley Pittacus Lore because of her Ximic? It was an interesting thought.

"Let's take a break." John admitted, heading for the stairs.

"Race you." Riley dared. John grinned and charged up the stairs.

"That's cheating!" Riley hollered, racing up the stairs behind him.

"How could you have beat me?" John asked, turning to face her.

"Teleportation, flight, super speed, or I could've injured you in a variety of ways." Riley answered.

"Excellent." John nodded encouragingly.

Riley looked at the glass door to Malcolm's office. Hopefully he was getting somewhere for this calm couldn't last forever. She could feel the tensions brewing for war was inevitable. Someone just had to fire the next shot.

* * *

"I don't care if you have to approve it by Congress for all I care!" Malcolm exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air. His graying blonde hair sticking up sporadically and his face firm with frustration.

"Phil? As in blind Phil?" Riley inquired, perched on a stool watching them again. They'd moved to the cabin for the rest of the night instead of the gym. Lexa and Nine had repaired another section and called it a night.

"The one and only." Nine drawled, looking bored yet irritated at the same time.

"Do whatever is needed to place him in that class." Malcolm huffed, scowling across his monitor.

"Putting a student, no matter how irritating, in the question mark class takes a little more than shoving someone up or down the spectrum. I'll bring it up at the board meeting next week." Nine bluntly stated, spreading his hands in a sweeping motion.

"The purple class." Lexa corrected, typing away on her laptop.

"Whoever decided to name the training classes after colors was an invalid." Nine huffed, rolling his eyes in disdain.

"Purple is literally the end of the line before black right?" Taylor inquired.

"Black also takes an act of Congress. That is the most dangerous training class." Nine answered tersely.

"Teens training with the nuclear legacies with absolutely no experience is always fun. I get the most students then." Taylor remarked, taking a sip of her coffee.

"Speaking of black I presume you'll agree with Malcolm and I that Diana Abbott aka DOA must be put in black before anyone else gets seriously injured?" Nine questioned casually, looking over at his partner in training.

"Who was seriously injured?" Malcolm cluelessly asked, looking up in confusion.

"Everyday this week she's nailed one student quite hard? Three telekinetic injuries, two near suicidal? One lumen? To top it off she stone gazed a poor fourteen year old girl today?" Nine reminded semi annoyed.

"Oh that Diana. Absolutely move her to black. Maybe for once she'll be the one that ends up in the infirmary." Malcolm commented dryly.

"Speaking of Wisteria, how's she doing? And the others?" Nine questioned, looking at Taylor.

"The first three were cleared earlier this week after twenty-four observation. Fara was cleared today from her full on frontal with lumen. The two suicidal ones I handed over to Linda yesterday, that might make them actually suicidal. But Wisteria I can't figure out that arm of hers. It's stone but no amount of healing will undo it because rock isn't a living being. I had a hypothesis that Dreyen or some kind of reversal legacy could fix it but I believe I'm stumped. I haven't found a student with either." Taylor sighed, staring forlornly at her coffee mug.

"I'll see what I can find for you Taylor. Malcolm has a whole thing to keep track of what legacies are in the academy. There has to be at least one student with the legacy you need." Lexa offered.

"Thanks Lexa." Taylor nodded, shoulders sagging.

"So Malcolm how you doing on the cure?" Riley questioned, sitting up to look over his monitor.

"Riley if I had a nickel for each time you've ask me that I'd be the richest man alive." Malcolm chuckled, never looking up from his monitor.

She sighed and sunk back down onto her bar stool. She was actually pretty tired from training with John. He'd left after that to head back to the mountains. His wife worries about him being gone too long. What a simple concern.

Lexa's computed beeped and she perked. "Well it's about time." She muttered, typing away.

Riley sat up and smiled. "Need me to contact our friends?" She questioned. "Because I can do that right now if you want."

Lexa held up a hand. "Whoa there. Slow your role." She replied. "Let me work my magic in peace." The kitchen fell into silence as Lexa's keys clicked and her dark eyes scanned the screen. Malcolm and Taylor even remained silent, individually working on the data tables and samples.

Lexa looked up after a few moments with a grin. "For the first time ever in the history of the world the resistance has tracked someone by using a tube of professional hair color. Take that EG." She spoke proudly.

"Gather round while I show you some evidence." She remarked. "I'll recommend to our cohorts to search Erie next. Because our film comes from Erie, PA." Lexa explained, victorious grin on her face still.

Riley got off her stool and her father joined her as they stood behind Lexa. Watching the security camera closely.

"Alright we got two suspects on camera actually. Given time I can zoom in and see what they're buying." She added. "But according to facial recognition this is Evangeline Sana. The girl in the hoodie I guarantee is Destiny, I have no guarantee but what other teenage girl would be accompanying her?" She pointed out. "So once I get this to Gia and the location to her so they can start working on putting together a team. Then I'm gonna work on what our fugitives bought so I can get that into the computer and start running facial recognition again." She explained.

"Simply spoken, no one bug Lexa and get her another cup of coffee." Riley remarked, walking towards the coffeemaker. Lexa cracked her knuckles and set back to work.

"Because sleeping is for when your dead." Nine commented, turning to observe the board of theories. If they weren't making progress with the cure at least they could make progress on a runaway.

* * *

Riley covered a yawn as she walked into the Dining Hall the next day. She spotted Phil, Dianna, Kaya, and Atlas at the table eating already. She grabbed a donut off the buffet. She'd already eaten breakfast with her father at his cabin before coming here. She sat down next to Phil. Atlas seemed way too alert for eight thirty in the morning. He was cursing to himself as he furiously typed away.

"I thought you said you left no evidence?" Phil drawled, giving his brother an annoyed yet bored look.

"I didn't I swear I didn't." Atlas snapped, pounding away on the keyboards.

"Not even the best hackers on this planet can outsmart who's hacking you currently. I wouldn't recommend hacking Malcolm's servers again. Lexa is a vindictive person. She might snitch that you have a laptop." Riley casually commented.

Atlas faceplanted onto his keyboard. Kaya laughed. "I believe that's one for the IT chick and zero for boy wonder."

Diana rolled her eyes. "What were you two nimrods doing hacking into Malcolm's server anyway? What's so fascinating about the science teacher." Diana scoffed.

"None of your beeswax. Top Secret." Atlas spoke diplomatically giving her a blank look.

"It has to do with diagnosing Phil without Malcolm finding out. This way Phil can train them in private while still playing the role of a tweeb." Kaya drawled disdainfully.

"Please say that louder Kaya I don't think the whole dining hall heard you." Phil hissed.

Kaya smirked. "Hey everybody Phil has-" she never finished her statement because Phil had lunged across the table and tackled her to the floor.

Regardless though she open her mouth and muster every ounce of oxygen she had. "Phil has more legacies!" She announced as loud as possible. Phil punched her straight in jaw. He continued to punch her until Diana and Atlas pulled him away.

Riley watched the peacekeepers come over, her father taking the lead. "Phillip! What is going on here?" He demanded, arms crossed.

Riley watched with amusement as some invisible force lifted Phil off Kaya and up into the air. She did not want to be Phil right now. Her father's fury was not something to mess with. Phil stopped and floated in front of her father.

"Your answer?" He demanded.

Phil spat at him. "Like you care." He huffed.

If Riley didn't know he was blind as a bat it'd almost look like he was scowling at her father.

Phil suddenly dropped to the ground with a thud. "You know what to do." Professor Nine ordered.

Phil got to his feet. "Because my morning didn't suck enough already." He grumbled, stalking off.

Riley hid a smirk. He was destined for Dr. Linda now. She felt a telekinetic tug on her shirt. She turned back around to look at her father. He motioned for her to follow her. She turned back to the others. "See ya later. I'm being paged." She chuckled, standing up.

Kaya pulled herself up onto the table. Her nose was bleeding and her one eye already looked swollen.

"Infirmary." She mumbled.

Atlas sighed and packed up his stuff. "Come on chiquita." He chuckled shouldering his backpack.

Riley smiled at them and left. She followed her father out in silence. "Two questions." Nine started.

"Fire away." Riley chuckled. They started walking down a path towards the gym. "The boy with his head against the keyboard. That our hacker?" Nine questioned with a smirked.

"I know he was looking for Malcolm's log. So his brother can self diagnose without needing Malcolm finding out." Riley shrugged.

"Because Lexa was typing like a mad woman when I left her. She found the source." Nine casually explained, a grin on his face.

"I can't say for sure but it'd all line up. Phil is hiding multiple legacies, Malcolm doesn't know, Atlas seems to think he's a good hacker." She chuckled.

Nine snorted. "Malcolm knows but can't prove a single thing. And this boy took on Lexa and almost won. I'm impressed." Nine grinned, shrugging causally.

"So second question?" Riley raised an inquisitive eyebrow at him.

"What was all that about? I heard Kaya say something about Phil has legacies?" Nine gave her an amused look.

"That's basically it. Phil has more legacies than he's showing. I can tell you he has telepathy and I want to say extra sensory perception. But I don't know much about that to confirm. He's got something that is basically his eyesight. He acts too cocky for a blind person." Riley huffed.

Nine raised an eyebrow at her. "I'm sensing you've already gone legacy to legacy with him."

Riley scoffed. "No legacies, fist to fist. He won. Broke my wrist to prove it." She scowled.

Nine frowned. "When did this happen?"

Riley rolled her eyes. "Down boy, it happened last night while you were busy. Taylor healed me before you saw so you didn't go kill him." Riley huffed.

"Your really having a problem with mimicking that legacy aren't you?" Her father frowned.

Riley glared at him. "Some legacies are harder than others. Don't you have good news to deliver to Malcolm? I'm gonna be late to Government if you don't leave me alone."

Her father gave a sigh and wandered off towards the gym.

* * *

Riley groaned and kicked the ground. "This is a stupid idea." She scowled at Malcolm.

"It got you out of Linda's class didn't it?" Malcolm questioned.

Lexa smirked from where she sat. "Come on Riley it's a prime opportunity." She laid her hands out on the table.

Riley considered it and sat down across from Lexa. She crossed her arms and rested them on the table. "I accept that challenge." Riley smirked.

Malcolm's chuckled and sat down on the end of the table. "It's kind of like telepathy but your trying to force someone to feel and possibly think a certain way." Malcolm explained, binder open in front of him. He had it open to the page about Sensior.

Riley was still unconvinced. "What was the excuse you used on Linda?"

Lexa snorted. "That he wanted to make sure you were okay after this morning's conflict. Make sure your not the next one to start a fight at breakfast." She smirked.

Riley knew her father was busy with a class or he'd also be up here. "So how's Phil?" Riley changed subject.

Lexa smirked at the girl. "Focus on the matter at hand. No changing the subject, you can do this."

"We could always try working on healing again." Malcolm quipped.

Riley groaned. "How about we work on one legacy at a time." She looked at Lexa. She decided to make Lexa angry. It seemed like the easiest emotion for her to feel. Like she was using her telepathy she thought angry thoughts. Lexa smirked at Riley. Riley let out a huff and scowled at Lexa, letting her own anger help her out. Lexa blinked and her smirk actually turned to a scowl.

Riley grinned. "Are you angry yet Lexa?"

Lexa scowled. "So angry." But Riley could see the humor in her eyes.

Riley slapped her hands onto the table. "You're not angry you're humoring me." She snapped in annoyance.

Malcolm sighed and flipped through his binder. "Alright since neither of you are taking this seriously let's move onto the other legacy we need to get a handle on." His fingers rested on a new page, Recupero, the healing legacy. Malcolm got up and went digging in a drawer. He pulled out a pair of scissors.

"I will say that this is a different method than how Taylor was trained." He admitted, walking back over.

"That's because Taylor wasn't hiding her healing legacy." Riley remarked, raising an eyebrow at Malcolm. Lexa also shared the same skeptical look.

"Relax Lexa I won't do anything serious. I know what I'm doing." He reassured.

"I believe you told me that before we performed minor surgery on Taylor when she was still a student here." Lexa reminded.

"It worked did it not?" Malcolm inquired, knowing grin.

Lexa rolled her eyes. "Bring It Bill Nye." She chuckled.

Malcolm approached her and used the scissors to make a shallow cut on her right arm. "If it helps Taylor said she used to imagine what it was supposed to look like before the injury."

Riley nodded and reached out for Lexa's arm, the small cut was just starting to bleed. She tried to do what Malcolm said. She touched the small cut and imagined something different. Her fingers were an eraser, erasing an imperfection. She ran her finger along it and slowly, Lexa's dark skin started to stitch back together.

"There we go. How you feeling?" Malcolm questioned.

Riley felt cold. Her head also started hurting. "Like crap." She groaned, resting her head in her hands.

"That cut was three inches long and very shallow. Such a minor injury." Malcolm frowned.

Lexa grabbed her tablet and opened it up. "I'll add it to the list. Another thing to add to the theory of biological damage." Riley just sat there with her head in her hands.

"Please tell me this gets better. I can't go train with John like this." She groaned.

Malcolm put a hand on her. "It's okay Riley, we're gonna get there together. But for now just watch which legacies you use. Obviously some are worse than others." Malcolm advised.

Riley let out a sigh. "This sucks."

Lexa chuckled. "Patience is a virtue."

Riley shot her a look. "Look who's talking."

Malcolm held his hands up. "Alright let's just chill for a few minutes until Riley's body readjusts."

* * *

It had been another regular night until the door was practically ripped open. Riley, Lexa, Debra, and Taylor were all around the kitchen island. Lexa was typing away on her laptop, checking for anything new and scandalous on EG servers. Taylor was comparing some of the samples Malcolm had sent her, making notes as she went. Debora had been sketching while Riley had her red crystal in her hand. She'd been in contact with the refugee camp.

Malcolm came stalking in looking murderous. "I am at my wits end with that boy. Nothing makes him lose control." He snapped.

All the females looked up from their work to look at him. "Well he isn't the first student to pull this stunt you know." Nine commented, shutting the door behind him.

Taylor smiled immediately picking up on the student he was talking about. "Ran didn't hold out particularly. She let you know her legacies but just refused to use them." She shrugged.

"Exactly! She was completely understandable. She was a pacifist until you really irked her." Malcolm exclaimed in frustration.

"Whereas Phil has no such button." Nine meekly admitted.

"I know your all on the edge of your seats listening to them but I'm gonna have to cut this short. Tune in next time for the next episode of this soap opera." Riley quipped, dropping the crystal on the counter.

Lexa snorted and smiled as she continued her work.

Malcolm huffed and sat down on his stool. "He is impossible and it's my butt on the frying pan tomorrow morning in the board meeting." Malcolm groaned, grabbing the cup of tea Taylor handed him.

Riley sighed she figured in the two hours he and Nine had spent in the gym with Phil after dinner was without any ounce of success. "He doesn't like being in Dr. Linda's classroom. He hates how those devices in her room disable legacies." Riley suggested.

Malcolm grinned. "I've been telling you. He has a legacy that must help him see the world around him. Not like see with his eyes but still have a good grasp on the world around him."

Lexa raised her hand, never looking up from her monitor. "I know none of us like this invention but it may help us out. Since obviously he isn't going to budge, we make him budge." Lexa suggested, dark eyes looking up from her monitor.

Taylor and Debra both looked equally confused as did Malcolm. Nine raised an eyebrow like he knew the answer but didn't want to admit it. "We're not monsters Lexa." He drawled.

Lexa held her hands up. "I'm not saying we actually give it to him but like threaten him. Make it seem like we're going to chip him." Lexa suggested.

"Chip him?" Riley questioned in confusion.

"Chip him. A more unusual method of controlling people. EG hasn't used it in a while. Besides the cure is more popular since its a more humane permanent fix." Malcolm answered.

Taylor raised an eyebrow. "Geez I haven't heard of chipping anyone since I was a student. Ran and Kopano were both chipped because they were supposedly a threat to humanity."

It was Nine's turn to snort. "So was Issy."

Lexa chuckled before giving a serious look. "If anyone ever deserved to be chipped it was Five. Danger to humanity and himself."

Riley groaned. "Will someone say what is chipping? Like a tracker or something?"

Taylor chuckled and raised her hand. "I have been the only student in the history of the Academy to ever have a tracker put in her. And I was completely willing. Sam deactivated it a long time ago."

Nine sighed and looked at his daughter. "Chipping is kind of a barbaric way to disable legacies. We slip you some good knock out drugs, make a tiny incision on your right temple, and stick a little microchip looking thing in there and then close the cut. I miss anything Taylor?" Nine questioned casually.

"Don't tell them what it does. Just wait until they find out the hard way. At least that's what happened to Ran and Kopano." She shrugged.

Lexa gave him a look of pure annoyance. "I'm not saying we actually chip him because that'd be cruel. I'm saying that tomorrow morning first thing after Riley's morning session with us we nab him at breakfast. Board meeting isn't until ten so that gives you two hours to get him to give you an answer. Two hours to threaten him with an inhibitor chip." Lexa suggested.

"It's worth a shot, as barbaric as it is." Malcolm admitted, shoulders slumping.

Riley was curious about this chipping. "If chipping is used in extreme cases why didn't they chip Cecilia when she was here?" She inquired.

"Excellent question. They probably now regret not chipping her." Nine chuckled. His daughter always knew how to look on the positive. Or at least crack a joke.

* * *

"You do not know how much I'm going to enjoy this." Riley smirked, flexing her fingers.

Lexa chuckled and toyed with a tiny microchip in her hand. "Do I want to know where you procured this Malcolm?"

Malcolm gave her an innocent smile. "Depends what mood your in."

Riley stifled a laugh. "When we do this we got one shot. I can only maintain the shock you need for a minute. And that will be it until tomorrow probably. I get to hibernate after this right?" Riley questioned, eyebrows raised.

"Yep, you weren't feeling well when you woke up this morning and your father thought it'd be best to let your sleep it off." Taylor spoke walking into Malcolm's lab.

Lexa smirked. "If Nine wasn't Nine they'd see right through that lie and demand Taylor heal her." Riley threw her head back and laughed.

"Another reason to master Recupero after we cure me."

Taylor leaned in the doorway. "So where's the man of the hour? Since your all still here and breakfast started five minutes ago."

"Dad went to snag him from the Dining Hall a few minutes ago. He'll be back with company. Malcolm has to go join him and then if part one doesn't work we all prepare for part two."

Lexa chuckled. "You sound way to happy about that."

Riley mischievously grinned and shrugged. "Hey I get out of class just to torture a peer and then get to eat and sleep. It's a perfect plan to me." She carelessly shrugged.

* * *

Riley held back a snicker as Taylor stood up and approached the cot that Phil was on. Lexa and Malcolm were both sitting watching. Lexa got out of sight as Taylor approached the bed, shining a light in his eyes. If they were gonna make him believe this was the infirmary Lexa and Riley both had stay out of sight. Riley quietly and quickly packed up her accounting, she wasn't falling behind because of this. She crawled to the head of his bed, staying low to the floor. They were under the obstacle course, a secret room was apparently hidden underneath and she'd never known about it.

"He seems to be coming too. Welcome back Phil." Taylor spoke softly, giving a friendly smile.

Riley grinned. He'd adamantly refused to answer the question with the threat of an inhibitor chip. Called their bluff. So now they had to play this through and make sure he believed that they'd actually done this. Malcolm watched as Phil groggily opened his eyes.

"What happened?" He spoke, forcing himself to sit up.

Taylor shined her light in his eyes, lifting each eyelid. "Pupils responsive, voice seems to work, patient is alert." She spoke simply. She was doing her part of acting like the doctor she was. Checking vitals. It didn't matter that this was all an act.

Phil shoved her away. "What is going here." He grumbled, fully sitting up. Malcolm stood at the foot of his bed with his phone in hand. "Nice to see you Phil. How you feeling?" Malcolm questioned casually.

"Like I need an answer. Why am I in the infirmary." Phil demanded, gripping the edges of the cot.

"You just had a minor surgery there Phil. Inhibitor chip was implanted on your temple. It's a really minor surgery that leaves a minimal scar." Malcolm shrugged.

Phil swung his legs over. "You didn't you narcissistic pig." He hissed. Malcolm clicked his tongue and shook his head.

Riley got up on her knees, hands hovering just out of Phil's peripheral vision. She didn't know why though as it didn't matter since he was blind. Malcolm's signal was clicking his tongue. She was ready to shock at any second. Malcolm's thumb hovered over his phone.

"I will ask you again to please cooperate and reveal your legacies Phil. There needs to be no pain involved." Malcolm causally suggested.

Phil spat at him. Malcolm clicked his tongue again and his thumb pushed the nonexistent button on his phone. Riley sent as big of a shock as she could muster into Phil's nervous system. His eyes slammed shut as he let out a scream before going limp. Riley suddenly felt the world go sideways and hit the floor hard. She heard Lexa swear before everything went black.

* * *

Lexa swore as Riley hit the ground but it didn't just stop there. Her whole body seized and she started shaking.

Taylor immediately dropped to the ground to aid Riley. "She's seizing! Hold her still. Don't let her injure herself." Taylor instructed, putting both her hands on Riley's head, pouring healing energy into her. "Come Ri, fight this." She encouraged.

Lexa and Malcolm got on the floor with her, Lexa had the arms and Malcolm had the legs. Riley slowly became still and her breathing slowed to normal.

"I believe the eel legacy goes on the double D list." Lexa replied, releasing Riley.

"Ya think?" Malcolm scoffed.

Taylor let out a sigh and sat back. "Nine not going to like this." Taylor replied.

"That in forty minutes is the board meeting and our second phase is broken because our telepathy is basically dead to the world? Sounds about right." Lexa shrugged.

Malcolm sighed and pushed his glasses up. "We'll figure something out. But for now we just wait." Malcolm offered.

* * *

"I believe we need an excellent distraction until Taylor can get us info somehow." Lexa replied.

"Why not Riley?" Nine frowned, sitting on the couch.

"Riley is sleeping on the floor and Phil hasn't regained consciousness." Malcolm replied.

"Excellent." Nine grumbled.

Dr Linda and Dr. Chen came in. Albert the EG liaison came in behind them. They'd all gotten settled when Arnold stormed in looking like he'd seen a ghost. "I have never been so insulted in my life." He scoffed.

"Problems Arnie?" Nine chuckled, crossing his arms as he slouched.

"All the guards are screwing with me. Each sector was given a new separate command by me supposedly and now their all running into each other. Completely ridiculous. I never caused such a commotion. I was busy checking inventory logs. Some cadet misplaced an inhibitor chip." Arnold gruffly spoke.

Nine knew Malcolm had something to do with the inhibitor chip but he had nothing to do with screwing with the guards.

Lexa spoke up. "When did they get these news orders?" Lexa questioned, looking intrigued.

"Ten minutes ago." He grumbled.

"Alright so any new business. Obviously we need to work on the communication in the security department. Shall we discuss this next month's war games?" Nine questioned, rubbing his hand together.

Albert raised his hand. "If I may impose, I've gotten word it's been confirmed that the student Phil Warner is hiding legacies?" He questioned.

Nine swore under his breath. Must all EG liaisons be the death of him? He thought Grieger was annoying but this guy was just nosy.

"Well Albert it's an excellent question." Malcolm diplomatically spoke.

There was a knock on the door. "Who is it?" Nine questioned, getting up to open to the door. Thankful for any form of distraction from Alberts questions.

"It's me sir with the snack you wanted?" Taylor spoke.

Nine gave the other board members an apologetic smile before excusing himself. Taylor was out in the hall with a cardboard box from the Dining Hall.

"And?" Nine questioned.

"Telekinesis, Telepathy, Terric, Extra Sensory perception, super hearing. Taylor listed off quietly, handing him the box.

Nine raised an eyebrow. "And the two patients?"

"Both dead to the world under the obstacle course. I'll be placing them accordingly here in a moment." Taylor nodded, looking at her tablet.

"Thanks for the Hail Mary." Nine nodded.

"Enjoy the munchkins." She chuckled.

"Munchkins?" Nine questioned, but Taylor was already gone. He walked back into his office and sat down. He placed the box on the table. "Now where were we?" He questioned.

* * *

Riley felt like she'd been cured when she woke up. Her head was pounding as she sat up. She needed drugs immediately unless Taylor was nearby. Riley looked around, she was now in her room. There was a note on her nightstand.

_Don't try that legacy again anytime soon. Take some aspirin if you have a headache when you wake up and I'm not here. Eat and drink when you get up. You know how you get after expending your legacies. Lexa will be by around two to check on you. I'll be there by four. Your father as always will be home by five. Takeout from the Dining Hall tonight, hamburgers, hot dogs, and french fries. _

_Malcolm_

Riley stretched and got up. She dragged herself across the hall to the bathroom and got some aspirin. She meandered out to kitchen for a glass of water, oblivious to the noise from the tv in the living room. Well the kitchen and the living room were the same room. The note did say Lexa was dropping in around two. Riley got her glass of water and took the aspirin. She then realized it wasn't Lexa on the couch. It was a Brazilian woman covered in scars and odd patches of skin. The woman suddenly shifted into a more human like appearance. "Good afternoon Riley. My you've grown since I last saw you." The woman chuckled.

Riley heard the glass shatter as it hit the floor. A picture came to front of her mind. This woman with an apron with many pockets, like a hairstylist wore. Her tenth birthday, she remembered that day clearly. Taylor took them to a friends salon for makeovers. Riley leaned on the bar, her head hurt still. Standing in front of her was the one and only Isabella Silva. So help her.

* * *

In the blink of an eye Riley had all the shattered pieces of her glass in the air by telekinesis. "What are _you _of all people doing here?" She demanded. Riley suddenly felt a sharp pain in her head and pitched forward against the counter. The shards of glass fell to the ground, shattering further.

"Curse this cure." Riley muttered, head in hands.

Isabella laughed. "You okay over there?"

Riley took a deep breath and marched towards her room, ignoring Isabella. "Stay away from me lady. I ain't in no mood for another makeover." Riley snapped, forcing as much anger into her statement as possible. She slammed her bedroom door behind her.

"_What on earth is going on around here ladies and gentlemen? _Riley mentally hissed. She broadcasted to her father, Lexa, Malcolm, and Taylor. Another sharp pain stuck her forehead.

"I hate this stupid cure crap sometimes." Riley groaned, resting her head on her knees.

"_I plead innocence. Sorry I haven't come to check on you yet. Got busy." _Lexa replied.

"_I swear on the elders, whatever it is it wasn't me. How you feeling Ri?" _Her father questioned.

"_I know nothing other than you had a seizure earlier." _Malcolm commented.

"_Guilty as charged. Sorry I needed backup earlier. She was more than willing. Sorry for the rude awakening." _ Taylor apologized.

Riley squeezed her eyes shut. This was not helping the spilling headache she had.

"_You mean to tell me Isabella Silva is in the living room because she was the backup plan?"_ Riley demanded.

"_Sorry_?" Taylor offered.

Riley dropped Taylor and reached out for her father.

"_The one and only Isabella Silva is in our house and apparently it's Taylor's fault." _

"_I did hear that right correct? Our Issy is in my living room? Alone with my daughter?" _Nine inquired warily.

"_You sound as thrilled as I do." _Riley drawled.

"_Hang in there Ri, when's Lexa heading your way?" _Nine questioned.

Riley snorted. "_Lexa and Issy in the same room? I believe that will work like you and Arnold._"

She heard her father's laughter echo in her head. "_Such a lack of faith from my own daughter." _

"_With proof" _

* * *

Malcolm looked over the peninsula to see Taylor checking on Debra in the living room. The woman in her mid forties was sleeping on the couch, Taylor was buttoning up the woman's shirt again. Malcolm couldn't understand why. She'd healed the small incision he had to make. Taylor walked back into the kitchen area and sat back down on her bar stool.

"So learn anything from the sample?" Taylor questioned, opening her tablet.

"I'm working on it. But I already can tell that this isn't a normal lung tissue. It's discolored so either we've discovered major lung cancer or we got something useful." Malcolm shrugged.

Nine snorted and handed Malcolm another cup of tea and Taylor a cup of coffee. He heard his daughter exit the bathroom a few minutes ago and go to her room. He now heard her bedroom door open and the bathroom door open again.

Lexa bolted upright from her stool. "Riley Lexa Worthington I swear on the elders if I hear that blow dryer turn on so help me!" Lexa hollered.

Riley came sauntering down the hallway, wet hair hanging down her back.

"Riley Lexa Worthington, I swear on the elders." She mocked, waving her comb at Lexa.

"I'm sorry if I've inconvenience you but park it." Lexa huffed teasingly. Grabbing a bar stool from the island and setting it out in the kitchen walkway. She tapped it with one dark hand as she started to dig out her few supplies with the other hand.

"Just think your father is next." Lexa smirked at Nine.

"Excuse me?" He smirked, leaning casually on the counter.

"Well since both of you and I forgot about our usual date in August I figured better late than never." Lexa grinned mischievously at him.

"Because December and August are really close to each other. It's a barely noticeable gap." Malcolm smirked.

"You and Taylor just stick to your lung sample and patient. I got my work and you got yours." Lexa advised with a small grin. She knew he was joking. Riley thunked down in the chair and slouched.

Lexa sighed. "Don't be two. Sit up Riley. Only Malcolm is allowed to be wise currently." She huffed.

"What about my father?" Riley smirked, looking up at Lexa. Lexa grinned and ran her fingers through Riley's wet tresses, pulling it all back while Riley had her head tilted back.

"If he's a wise guy I can't make any promises. Ya know I might be suffering from all those test segments when Malcolm makes me be your guinea pig for X legacy." She smirked.

Nine raised an eyebrow over his paperwork. "Do you now? And what's the side effect?" He grinned.

Lexa mischievously grinned, toying with the scissors she used to cut hair. "Oh I don't know. My hand might jerk and oops I cut more off than originally intended." She helplessly shrugged.

She wrapped her only cape around Riley's neck, securing it on the back. "Alright Ri any opinion or whatever I feel like?" Lexa grinned, combing Riley's hair out.

Riley snorted. "Don't make me look like Malcolm that my only request."

Malcolm looked up from his microscope. "I'd take offense to that if it wasn't for my grays." He commented.

Lexa chuckled. "Alrighty one Riley cut coming up." Lexa teased, combing out a section.

"So Malcolm or Taylor. You performed an unauthorized and top secret lung biopsy at three today right?" Nine questioned.

"Yeah what about it?" Taylor questioned, monitoring Debra's vitals on her tablet.

"It's nine p.m. and she's still dead to the world." Nine chuckled.

Malcolm held his hands up. "The only conclusion is she must also have a much less noticeable metabolism hiccup in her. I calculated the anesthesia properly for a Human Garde."

Taylor chuckled. "She's fine, no signs of infection, no fever, and all vitals have held steady every since she went under. Brain activity is good, heart rate is normal and steady, everything is fine. She must just have a more human metabolism than expected." Taylor explained.

"Humans have a whole system on dosing so are sure you didn't screw up drug dosage?" Nine furrowed his brow.

Lexa had just gotten ready to take the first cut when Riley picked her head up. "Remember we've had this discussion? Human Garde have a higher metabolism than humans. Twice as fast." She commented.

Lexa patiently tilted Riley's head back down.

"And the goof was where exactly?" Nine inquired, raising an eyebrow at Taylor and Malcolm.

"Well it's a little more complicated than getting the dosage right according to human medical research." Malcolm awkwardly explained.

"There's more math involved after we figure the human dosage." Taylor added.

"It needs to be double to accommodate for Human Garde and their faster metabolisms." Riley supplied, looking up again.

Lexa huffed and tilted Riley's head back down. Taylor chuckled. "Your daughter has a future in the infirmary apparently. At least she can do anesthesia."

Riley looked up and grinned at them. Lexa sighed. "Riley I swear if you move your head one more time in just going to cut wherever my scissors land and you're just going to have to live with it." Lexa threatened, tilting Riley's head back down.

"I recommend practicing your telepathy right now." Malcolm helpfully commented.

"And what about me?" Nine teased.

"Suffer in silence." Lexa quipped.

"Interesting." Malcolm mused looking into his microscope.

"Lexa wanna come look at this?" He questioned, not looking up.

"Really?" Lexa scoffed, putting a hand on her hip and scowling at Malcolm.

"Sorry then the other Loric in this room." Malcolm corrected himself.

Nine wandered over whole Lexa combed back out the same section. Nine looks in and gasped. "Malcolm why are you looking at loralite?" He questioned.

"Huh?" Riley asked looking back up. Lexa huffed and cut where she landed, right at the base Riley's neck. She bent over and picked up the long piece. Throwing it on Riley's lap with a smirk. "I said hold still." She teased.

Riley grabbed the piece in one hand and reached for the back of her neck with the other. She giggled when she felt where Lexa cut. She looked up with a smirk. "I don't mind. It'll still grow back."

Lexa laughed and tilted Riley's head back down. "Your just as impossible as your father."

Malcolm shook his head, pushing his glasses back up his nose. "This isn't loralite Nine. This is the lung sample from the biopsy Taylor and I performed on Debra. It's incredible isn't it?" He grinned.

Nine took another look at the microscope. "It's like living in harmony with the human tissue." He mused.

"Loralite is in her lung tissue. But how did it get there?" Malcolm frowned.

Taylor looked up from her tablet. "May I point out something? Malcolm I'm gonna send you a study I've read." She replied, tapping away.

Malcolm's tablet beeped and be turned to grab it off the island. "What does a study done on coal miners lungs have to do with this?" Malcolm frowned.

"Project SRI. She was part of a team that harvested all the loralite outcroppings in the Adirondacks." Lexa reminded.

"But it'd take years of constant exposure to cause it to build up in her system." Malcolm argued, scrolling through the file. Taylor shrugged. "How about when the anesthesia eventually wears off we'll ask her how long that project lasted."

"How about when I'm done with Riley I hack into the databases and find out everything we need to know about project SRI?" Lexa questioned.

Like he was still a teenager Nine whispered a yes, making a fist with his one hand and pulling it back. Lexa rolled her eyes. Riley was so much like her father it was uncanny. "Taylor you can cut a straight line right?" She smirked.

Nine rolled his green eyes. "As if."

"Professor Stanley Worthington I will slap a scrambler on you if you so much as think of fighting me on this." Lexa snapped impatiently.

Malcolm snorted and chuckled, taking notes on his tablet. "I'd recommend not fighting the woman who cuts your hair Nine."

Nine smirked and crossed his arms teasingly. "She's a Cêpan I'm a Garde. I can take her."

Lexa rolled her dark eyes at him. "Oh really? Is that so? Try me." She challenged.

"I don't got any embarrassing spring break pics." Nine commented, shooting Malcolm a grin.

"But ya know it'd be ashame if anyone found out about our secret love child from our secret affair would it now?" She smirked mischievously.

"I think the _Cêpan_ just got you good there Professor." Taylor chuckled, covering her mouth with her hand.

"Bah, she don't know anything." Nine scoffed.

"Don't test me professor." Lexa teasingly spoke.

"Alright you two back to work." Malcolm reminded them.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Riley ducked her father's metal fist and spun, kicking his legs but they didn't move. She telekinetically ripped the dagger from her father's other hand and whipped it around her body, aiming it at his shoulder. He frowned at her and with a swipe of the hand sent to dagger flying into the gym wall. "Enough." He spike in a harsh tone. He approached Riley and tilted her head up gently. "Your bleeding again."

Riley grunted in frustration. "That couldn't have been half an hour." She held a hand up to her nose and then looked at the back of her hand. Her nose was bleeding again, side effect of telekinesis. She stomped to the stairwell and up to the observation deck.

"That was just twenty minutes." Malcolm frowned, looking up from his monitor.

Taylor approached Riley. "Here let me help." She offered, hand reaching for Riley.

Riley dodged Taylor's hand and glared at Malcolm. "Why? I've been on the decline for two weeks now. How's that fit into your hypothesis?" She huffed, grabbing a tissue.

Malcolm's sighed and turned to look at the angry girl. "Riley I know your frustrated with the instability of your legacy currently but this is not an exact science. Everything we've accomplished is based on theory and what we've observed about biology."

Riley held the tissue up to her nose to stop the bleeding. "And we are still at zero. I'm just getting worse and we got no clue why or how to stop it." She huffed, hopping up on the table.

"Riley." Malcolm sighed.

"Debra your turn. I'll monitor your vitals from up here." Taylor casually spoke, trying to redirect the tension.

"Someone forgot to take their happy pills today." A male voice quipped.

Malcolm jumped and turn to watch John materialize behind him. "Don't do that. I'm getting too old to be spooked. One of these days your going to give me a heart attack." Malcolm huffed, starting to take off the sensors on Riley.

"You were supposed to be here an hour ago John." Lexa teased, mirthful eyes looking up from the console for the obstacle course.

"Ya know traffic in California is horrible today." He smirked, grinning at the Loric woman. Lexa rolled her dark eyes and went back to work. "I had to fly across the Pacific, drop off Adelina, and fly up here. It takes some time." He held up his hands.

Malcolm held out his hand with a smile. "So I presume you got it?"

John held out two vials of loralite dust. "As requested. Dust from loralite." He smirked as he placed them in Malcolm's hand. "May I ask why?"

"Want me to stop them?" Taylor questioned Malcolm gesturing at Nine and Debra.

Malcolm nodded. "Nine will murder all of us if we let him miss this."

"Stop. It's time." Taylor called down. Lexa walked over from her console and leaned on the table.

"So what exactly is the strategy here Malcolm? How does Loralite help with legacies?" She inquired.

Nine and Debra came up. Malcolm put the vials down and clapped his hands together. "Today ladies and gentlemen is test number one." He uncapped the one loralite vial and uncapped a vial of clear liquid. He tapped some loralite out of the vial into the vial of clear liquid. "We all know by now that ATP and the legacy gene have a very close relationship. All Garde, human and Loric, have a higher metabolism than humans because their legacies require more power from the body. Therefore the body must learn to produce vast amounts of ATP in incredibly short periods of time. It's actually pretty fascinating to study the relation-"

"For the love of Lorien Malcolm get to the point." Lexa huffed in annoyance. All this science stuff was Greek to her.

"My point is that humans have science on their side but that's why their cure took two decades to make. Whereas we are appealing to a higher power. We are appealing to the source of legacies, basically to Lorien itself." He shook his vial of clear liquid and Loric dust.

"Umm but if I remember correctly Lorien is gone? How do you appeal to a planet that is history?" Taylor frowned.

"The heart of Lorien, the source of legacies, The entity, whatever you wanna call it. We are appealing to the source to fight back against the cure. It chose to give her Ximic for a reason, let's hope it's a good one." Malcolm calmly explained, sucking up his mixture into a syringe.

Debra frowned to match Riley's. "You speak like this 'thing' is sentient. Like it's not just a matter of genetics." She spoke with concern. Nine and Lexa both nodded in agreement.

"That's how it works." Nine answered bluntly.

Malcolm gave a sigh in exasperation. "I've been studying legacies for twenty-one years now. I can't really explain it even. Like look at the first generation. Taylor has no genetic history of legacies in her. The first generation is all referred to as a giant worldwide spontaneous genetic mutation." He looked at Taylor as if asking her to continue. "But for example Debra your son Casey and then Riley here are part of the second generation of Human Garde. They add more complexity to an already complex system. They possess the gene for legacies but it does not guarantee legacies. It's a conundrum. There is no way to determine who will have legacies and who won't. It's all up to a higher power they refer to as the Entity. At least that's the most common name I've heard for it." She shrugged.

"Ella calls it Legacy." Nine added, holding up a finger.

"Ella was also insync with 'it' for a while." Lexa retorted.

"Alright back on topic. What does this mean for the cure?" Riley impatiently snapped, crossing her arms tightly across her chest.

"That we pray to Lorien that it will let this work." Lexa bluntly drawled.

Suddenly something stabbed Riley in the neck. She let out a small cry. Malcolm pushed the plunger in, piece of cotton ready to cover where he broke the skin. "I needed you relaxed and I wanted your Carotid artery, fast delivery to the body." He casually explained.

"You are way to calm-" Riley pitched forward to be caught by Lexa and Taylor. Riley threw up and then started shaking. Her eyes rolled back in her head and she started thrashing.

"Get her down and restrained." Taylor ordered, helping Lexa lower the girl to the ground. "Boys less gawking more retraining. Take a leg. Debra please grab an arm." Taylor cradled Riley's head on her lap so she didn't damage her head. "Malcolm you better start figuring out why she's seizing."

Malcolm rushed into his lab, rifling through papers in there. "I got nothing. I don't know what went wrong but this is my first round. Obviously there's a few bugs I need to find." He meekly admitted.

"A few?" Lexa huffed.

"Alright no commentary. This will work out." Taylor advised in a stern tone. She started pouring healing energy into Riley. Somehow and some way they were gonna fix her. Things couldn't get much worse. Something has to given eventually.

* * *

Riley groggily woke up. She felt like trash again. She grunted as she struggled to sit up. Her arms felt so incredibly sore she flopped back against her pillows, exhausted from the effort. She heard a soft chuckle, was it Taylor? She slowly opened her eyes and saw she was in her room again. Taylor was on the floor reading a book.

"Good afternoon sunshine. Don't stress yourself." She advised, grabbing her tablet from the floor next to her. She tapped away on it before frowning. "Malcolm is not going to like that." She muttered.

"What?" Riley croaked. What was going on? What had happened? The last thing she remembered was Malcolm getting ready to give her his first attempt at the cure for the cure.

"Don't strain yourself. Your levels are still dangerously low. It seems something broke in you this time." She explained solemnly.

"Broke?" Riley gasped out.

Taylor shook her head, a few blonde hairs escaping her ponytail. "I will explain but please stop moving and talking and don't even attempt a legacy. I don't feel like performing CPR on you again." Taylor advised. "Blink once for yes, twice for no. That shouldn't take too much energy."

Riley frowned and blinked once.

"Malcolm's first attempt may have screwed up more than what was originally screwed up. You basically short circuited after the he gave you that dose. And to add insult to injury all your levels bottomed out and your body shut down on us. It was too much for it." Taylor sighed. Riley felt tears forming in her eyes. "But Malcolm isn't giving up and neither should you. Yes this was a major setback and honestly neither of us know when you'll recover from it. But we are not giving up. If anything this only helps him figure it out so his next attempt will be an improvement." Taylor reassured with a smile. "Rest now. I need to go get some more saline for your iv and a few other supplies for the recovery of your system. Hang tight. Want me to put on a movie or something for you? Since you can't do anything but lay in bed?" She offered, standing up.

Riley blinked once. A movie would at least take her mind off things.

"Alright blink once for divergent, twice for cars, three for now you see me." Taylor spoke examining Riley's stack of movies. Riley managed a small smile and blinked twice.

* * *

Taylor got off the phone and looked at their assembled group. "Alright does everyone understand how we're pulling this off?" She questioned. "Issy will be here in half and hour and give her approximately ten minutes to slip through security."

Lexa let out a huff but didn't look up from her screen. She had no comment. Nine twirled the red crystal in his hand. "Kat will be here by lunch tomorrow. Courtesy of air Chimæra according to John."

"I hope he's accompanying Bernie. You know what happened last time EG got their hands on a chimæra." Lexa drawled.

"Can we not bring that short coming up? I can only focus on one screw up at a time." Nine scowled.

"Whoa easy there. The chirmæra incident was no one that is presents fault. I fully believe though Taylor is very familiar with the culprits nephew." Malcolm smirked, glancing at Taylor.

"Oh get a life Malcolm. We were classmates and that's it." She retorted firmly.

"Your mouth says no but your cheeks say yes." Nine chuckled, smirking at her. Taylor let out a laugh and slapped her hand on the island. "All of you stay out of my love life." She teasingly argued.

"Alright we're getting off topic." Malcolm reminded.

"Yes, the plan for making sure no one murders Isabel while she stays here. She can come sleep in my cabin so that y'all can have some breathing room. Who's in charge of making sure Lexa and Issy don't murder each other?" Taylor questioned.

Nine raised his hand. "I make sure Lexa doesn't murder Issy. Even though she's in her full right."

"Come on people. That was twenty-one years ago. Can you drop it?" Taylor sighed.

Malcolm raised his hand. "I make sure my granddaughter doesn't murder Issy. Because there will be a battle of the wills when those two meet."

"Okay Nine makes sure Lexa doesn't murde Issy, I make sure Nine doesn't murder Issy, Lexa makes sure Malcolm doesn't murder Issy, and Malcolm makes sure Kat doesn't murder Issy. Everybody got it straight?" Taylor questioned.

Debra raised her hand. "And where do I fit in or am I just strictly for research as anomaly two?"

Taylor thought about it for a moment. "Make sure when Riley wakes up she doesn't murder Issy. There's another contest of wills there."

Nine snorted. "Which may I point is mostly your fault?"

Taylor chuckled. "Okay in hindsight I probably shouldn't have put her at the mercy of Issy for her tenth birthday. We just gotta keep Issy out of Riley's room for now and then when Riley is back up and mobile we'll cross that bridge when we get there." She suggested.

"So how are we getting both shapeshifters to cover up Riley's disappearance? May I point out both girls have a disadvantage?" Malcolm questioned.

"Issy doesn't know much about Riley so she'll have a difficulty portraying an accurate Riley. Kat on the other hand will be pretty accurate but she doesn't have any knowledge of the academy grounds or faculty. We're working on those." Lexa commented dryly.

Nine was seated next to her mumbling something to her.

"Wow and I thought Archibald held a grudge against Issy. But you seen ready to explode" Malcolm chuckled.

"One word about secret sexy girlfriend and I'm gonna go ballistic." Lexa threatened, dark eyes menacing.

"One word about my fashion sense or my arm from her and I'm going to go ballistic." Nine added.

"Glad to know Issy is still loved after all these years." Taylor laughed, leaning against the bar.

"I believe Issy is your friend and only your friend." Malcolm replied, looking up from his microscope.

"Can I be clued in on who this Issy character is? She sounds like quite the character to have such a range of mixed reactions." Debra questioned, propping her elbows on the island. She pushed her glasses up and looked at them all curiously.

"Mixed?" Malcolm snorted. "I think you mean mostly negative."

"Isabel Silva is a name that strikes fear into most of the board members still. Except the new EG liaison and Arnold. He wasn't here when Issy was a student. Archibald was head of security when she was here and she made a fool of him regularly. Issy was in my class and my roommate. She's an acquired taste but she isn't as bad as they say. She just really enjoyed messing with people with her shapeshifting legacy." She laughed, gesturing with her hands. "When you meet her you'll have to make your own opinion on her. But I don't think she's that bad. Yes a little vain but you just learn to ignore it. Especially when you see her for who she truly is. Which depending on how exhausted this plan makes her you might. Depends on where she crashes." Taylor shrugged.

"I didn't know Issy got tired. From day one of the academy she showed incredibly advanced control of her shapeshifting legacy. I didn't know if she ever really got tired. She must have one of the strongest stamina I've ever seen." Malcolm replied in a casual tone.

* * *

Nine let out an aggrieved sigh. "Can someone explain to me what in the name of the Elders you all did? I have Linda on my back followed by concerns from Susan. We can't have screw ups on our first day."

Kat let out a pained groan as she leaned on her elbows against the counter, her toned muscles tense with agony. She'd changed into a camisole and athletic shorts to maximize the amount of skin exposed. Her grandfather was rubbing the cold cream down her burning back. Isabel sat on a stool next to her and sighed. "It wasn't me for once."

Kat grunted. "Yeah right." She gasped as another flare of pain went through her side. Her grandfather was working his hands under her camisole rubbing the hydrocortisone on her ribcage. She couldn't remember a time when she'd broken out so bad before. This all started at approximately one-thirty this afternoon. With that stupid woman, what was her name again?

Dr Linda. Let's review where everything went wrong. Kat morbidly thought.

Kat had been running late as always. She'd run late to the last class too and was late to lunch. Well technically the whole being late to lunch thing wasn't her fault persay. John and her didn't get there until ten after noon. She was in the dining hall by twelve twenty five. Then she was ten minutes late to chemistry, this place is too big for her. Too many buildings, too many similar hallways, and too many people. Followed by she was twenty minutes late to Dr Linda's class. Not only because she was lost enough as it is but because the class had to move. Something about a disturbance in her original classroom. It was closed down for repairs so she had to find the classroom it'd moved too. Which wasn't easy.

The class didn't sound fascinating either, a group therapy session? Pfft how stupid. She sat down on the only empty desk in the giant circle they all formed. What a waste of a class period. Dr Linda raised an eyebrow at her.

"Your late again Riley. It isn't getting you out of this class so I recommend you come on time tomorrow. If not I may have to recommend you be put on my schedule for one on one appointments." She spoke in a casual tone but it held the uncurrent of a threat.

Kat scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Suck a lemon Linda."

Linda's eyebrows shot up the shock clearly evident on her face. "Excuse me?" She inquired with a frown. Kat snorted and slouched in her seat. She must've hit a nerve. She was informed to disrespect this woman, Riley apparently nursed a severe hatred for this woman.

"Turn up your miracle ear ya old bat. I said go suck a lemon." Kat spat impatiently, rolling her eyes in distaste.

The older woman huffed. A girl in a chair across the room with brown hair and dark eyes chuckled, smirk evident on her face. She mouthed something at Kat but she sucked at reading lips. Crap was she supposed to know this chick? She hadn't been briefed on if Riley had any acquaintances. Dr Linda's gaze moved to the girl that just chuckled.

"Diana, care to share?" She drawled, scowling at the girl.

"Not at all madame, I think Mrs untouchable covered it all." She gave a cheesy grin. "Took the words right out of my mouth."

Dr Linda gave an irritated sigh. "Alright before we were rudely interrupted,"

Kat was actually enjoying this so she interrupted the woman. "Oh I'm sorry if I'm interrupting you, I can leave. It's not a problem for me." She cheekily grinned.

Dr Linda scowled. "Riley Lexa Worthington what has gotten into you today? Do I need to get your father?"

Kat rolled her eyes and held up here hands, shaking them in fake fear. "Oh no don't bring my father into this. I'm shaking over here can't you see?" She taunted. This woman was pretty funny to irritate. She hadn't had this much fun since she planned the raid on an EG supply shed last month.

Dr Linda frowned and scowled at her. But never said a word. "Alright back on topic. Would anyone like to share what it felt like when you first developed your legacies? Were you excited? Scared? Unsure?" She questioned, looking around the circle. "Riley since you seem so talkative today why don't you share what happened when you first developed. What was it like?" She inquired, an amused look in her eye. Kat smiled and sat up, leaning forward like she was actually interested. Inside she was panicking. When did Riley even develop her legacies? What was her first legacy? Was it the standard telekinesis? What happened when she developed? She was drawing a blank. Well now was time for some steaming hot, class A load of crap.

"Well Dr Linda it was obviously much more bland than your probably imaging. When I first developed I thought oh goodie I get to be like my father now. I can beat up people better than I already do." Kat drawled in an uninterested tone, dripping with sarcasm.

Dr Linda gave a intrigued look. "What was your first display of power?" She inquired.

Kat thought about it and grinned. "My first display of power was nothing big and grand. I accidentally made my pencil levitate in history class one day. No biggie." She shrugged nonchalantly. She hoped her crap was actually lining up with what the truth actually was. Dr Linda turned her attention away from her to another student, obviously satisfied with her answer. Or just tired of the disrespect. Kat didn't really care. There were more confessions about how the first display of power and how it felt. Kat almost believed she'd slipped under the woman's radar but then she turned back to her. Crap she'd tuned out, what was the question?

"Anytime now Riley, what went through your head when you revealed yourself to EG officials when they visited your school?" Linda glared impatiently. Kat rolled her eyes dramatically again. She tried to remember Riley's case file. She never really read it because Casey planned that evac instead of her. Because Riley was a top priority evac. She'd never really heard what happened to alert EG to her presence on the planet. Just that Casey and Gia had arrived without a second to spare.

"I was incredibly irritated that being discovered EG was such a inconvenience. Because now I'd be stripped of my rights as a human being and shoved in a facility where I'd never see the light of day again." Kat snapped, glaring at the small older woman.

Dr Linda raised her eyebrows in interest. "And do you remember the exact moment when you revealed yourself?" She smirked. Kat internally grumbled. This woman was almost digging for something, that smirk meant bad things. That the woman knew the answer already. Was she suspicious of Riley already? Had Kat not answered the questions correctly?

"Why yes I do. The officials clipboard went flying across the office we were in. And then I made a run for it, blowing by the pathetic excuses for EG peacekeepers." Kat hissed in annoyance, revealing her teeth to the woman.

Linda frowned in confusion for a moment and Kat internally slapped herself. That look couldn't be good. "Incredibly fascinating Riley, thank you for sharing. Anyone else?" She smiled. The woman's whole demeanor had changed in a second. She had relaxed, and smiled. Kat mentally swore at herself. What had she just done? That woman suddenly seemed way too happy.

Issy seriously hadn't meant to add salt in the wound of this plan that Katarina had already caused. But she also didn't plan on taking on Riley's form again that day. The SOS from Katarina halfway through dinner was already enough of a screw up. When Kat had come back to the cabin she seemed to be really struggling to hold form. She flopped into a chair and her form broke completely, gone was Riley replaced with Kat. Riley's blue eyes replaced with Kat's own hazel eyes, Riley's black hair suddenly grew in length down her back, becoming more wavy and turned a sandy blonde, Kat's own hair. Underneath Riley's tanned skin was flaky and inflamed skin. Like a giant rash had been hiding under the shapeshifting. Issy didn't ask questions though, Riley had to get back to dinner.

She shifted seamlessly into Riley and walked to the Dining Hall. She couldn't help but thinking of herself as better than Katarina though. The girl has held her legacy for only five and half hours before fading, suffering some severe looking damage in the process. She made it to dining hall with fifteen minutes left to spare. She was about to go sit down at an empty table when a very familiar voice spoke up behind her.

"Riley, can I have a word outside with you?" Dr Linda casually inquired. Issy frowned without turning around. Why hadn't the old hag died by now? She was already old when Issy was a student here, was this woman immortal or something? She plaster a grin on a turned around.

"Why of course Dr Linda." She replied, following the woman outside to a bench outside the dining hall.

"I wanted to discuss what happened in class earlier today. Is there something going on? You seemed incredibly hostile today." She gently asked.

Issy mentally sighed. What had Kat done to this woman already? "I'm sorry I had a bad class beforehand." Issy apologized, nodding in understanding.

"It's okay I was just concerned. Now I wanted you to clarify a few of the answers you gave me today. So I'll repeat my first question. What did it feel like to develop legacies?" She patiently asked.

Issy managed a smile. What on earth had Kat said to this woman earlier? Better question how would Nine answer this question? She'd been told by Taylor that Riley was so much like her father. "I felt excited and full of dread at the same time. Happy to be like my father but also worried about anyone else finding out." Issy answered simply. She honestly didn't know what the girl felt, when Issy had developed her shapeshifting she was overjoyed. Glad to have it to restore her confidence in herself. Or at least something to hide behind.

Linda looked down on at her tablet with a frown. "First display of power?"

Issy snorted and had an immediate response for this lady. "Textbook went flying across the room."

Linda raised a curious eyebrow. "Okay final question. What went through your mind when you were found out by EG and can you recall the event?"

Isabel let out a sigh. What was this woman's problem? "I disliked the idea of being caught immensely so I ran from the agents. Can I go now?" She snapped impatiently, crossing her arms and glaring at the woman.

Linda smiled and nodded. "Thank you for clarifying your answers. You may return to your friends."

Isabel rolled her eyes. Riley must've had cohorts in this academy. She walked back into the dining hall and looked around. For starters this place definitely hadn't changed in the past twenty years, from the tables to the decor. She scanned the crowds. Who on earth would Nine's daughter associate with? She was going to have to ask Nine about that.

Nine let out a frustrated sigh and ran his hands through his hair. "So let me get this straight." He spoke in a tense tone, like he was trying to keep calm but wasn't the slightest bit calm. "You both gave Linda different answers and that's why she's after me about concerns about the crowd Riley's fallen into."

Lexa snorted, looking up from her laptop. "Really the only troublemakers in that group are Phil and Diana. Atlas just gets led astray by his older brother." She shrugged

"Also when was anyone gonna alert me about Katarina's issues? I wasn't aware she had such a side effect for almost five and half hours." Nine shot a look across the island at Kat and Malcolm.

Malcolm held up a greasy hand. "I wasn't aware of this. Like I knew Kat had eczema when she was little. But I never knew about this." He defended, gesturing at his granddaughter.

Kat grunted. "I'm sorry okay?" She hissed through her clenched teeth.

"And Taylor can't help her at all?" Nine inquired, eyebrows raised.

Taylor held up a hand. "No offense but honestly her body tried to suck me dry. I can't have any exhaustion episodes currently. It's like trying to heal Issy honestly, sorry Issy." Taylor explained, frowning in concern.

Issy shrugged. "It's okay Taylor just don't mention it again." The Brazilian smiled.

Lexa raised an eyebrow and went to open her mouth but Nine held a hand up. "Remember we're keeping the peace here Lexa." He reminded with a grin. He knew she was just fuming internally at having to bite her tongue.

Lexa stuck her tongue at him before muttering something to herself as she looked back down at her laptop.

"Alright thanks to the pair of you Malcolm, Lexa, and I must attend an emergency board meeting. Or should I call it an interrogation session?" He bitterly snapped, standing up. Lexa eyes were dark and menacing as the Loric woman sharply closed her laptop and grabbed her tablet from its charger.

Malcolm sighed and looked pleadingly at Taylor. "Can you finish?" He inquired, holding out a tube.

"Her body is so thirsty I don't think I can. Issy? Can you find the kindness in your body to help a fellow shapeshifter out?" She questioned.

Issy laughed. "Geez what do you think I'm heartless?" She chuckled and snatched the tube from Malcolm. "And if Archie is still here tell him I said hi." She smirked, wiggling her fingers at them.

"One Archie retired thirteen years ago and secondly a vital part of this plan involves absolutely no one finding out you or Kat are here." Malcolm chuckled.

"Alright you know how Arnold gets his trousers in a twist when we're late." Nine impatiently huffed, walking to the door.

"And for everyone's sanity we can only handle one livid man at a time." Malcolm placated, grabbing his tablet off the counter. He pushed his glasses up before following Nine.

Lexa snorted and followed them. "Yeah right they won't be in the same room for five minutes before it's all out bloody war." She announced with a chuckle. "So at least this won't be boring by any stretch." She shrugged, closing the door behind them.

Taylor sighed, leaning on the island. "Okay questions? Debra and I are completely willing to educate you on all things Riley so that we do not have another one of these incidents."

* * *

"So what you avoiding me after my outburst a few weeks ago? Afraid I'll kick your sorry butt?" A muscular teenage boy asked. He had stone gray eyes and honey brown curls that hung in his eyes. He'd approached Kat masquerading as Riley in the breakfast line.

"I'd watch myself there. Cause it'll be me kicking your sorry butt." Kat growled, plucking several sausages off the tray and onto her plate. She moved down to get a muffin, maybe two. She was starving this morning. Having to completely regrow her skin overnight thing didn't help. Taylor was a major help in that process.

"Funny, I have legacies and you don't. Oh wait a minute."

Kat moved her one foot back and stomped on his foot. "If you know what's good for you pretty boy you need to keep that gigantic mouth of your shut." She hissed. selecting a bowl of grapes.

_Wait a minute where's Riley? You mind sounds different but your voice and vibrations feel the same. Although the racing heart is new. _His voice spoke in Kats head. Kat grumbled and grabbed a water walking away. So this was Phil. The only other reason they could screw up. Blind as a bat but knowledgeable of everything else. She walked over to where Taylor was sitting in the corner waiting.

"We got a problem. About five seven, probably somewhere around one fifty in weight, stone dead eyes, hair in his eyes, very well informed yet blind as a bat." Kat scoffed.

Taylor choked on her coffee. "Phil?" She spat out.

"If I remember correctly yes. Moron was taunting Riley and me in the food line." Kat scoffed.

Taylor wiped her mouth with her napkin. "Excuse me? How was he taunting the pair of you?" Taylor questioned.

"Out loud taunting Riley about her supposed lack of abilities and mentally harassing me that I'm not Riley." Kat scowled, viciously biting into her muffin.

Taylor snorted. "Don't take it out on the muffin, it did nothing." She teased, blue eyes sparkling with mirth.

Kat rolled Riley blue eyes at the woman. "So what we doing about the caveman?" She inquired.

"Keep an eye on him. We can't do anything because he harassed you in the food line. Crap like that happens all the time. And besides Riley and Phil go at it all the time. It's nothing new." She shrugged.

"So just ignore him?" Kat scoffed, picking at her muffin now. "That's ludicrous."

Taylor smirked. "Phil wants attention. So reprimanding him for it will get us nowhere. Also Nine can't come to his daughters aid everything someone looks at her wrong. It just wouldn't look right to anyone. Even though he wishes he could some days." Taylor explained casually, going back to her cereal.

* * *

Kat let out groan as Taylor jabbed her in the arm with the steroids. "By the elders can you be a little more gentle?" She hissed as Taylor took it out and taped a piece of cotton over the injection point.

She chuckled. "Relax it should be better within the next four days. Can you survive that long?"

Kat glared at the woman with her hazel eyes. "Can you not enjoy this so much?" She huffed.

Taylor smiled. "Sorry, it's just nice to know even great heroes have their weak sides." She chuckled.

"Weak sides? If she wasn't so coddled she wouldn't have this problem in the first place. Some of us had to earn our title hero." Issy drawled, walking in with several Walmart bags full of oatmeal and Vaseline. "All the oatmeal, diaper rash cream, and Vaseline intensive care Walmart had to offer." Issy announced dropping the bags on the island.

Kat let out a growl. "You got a problem at least say it to my face princess." Kat hissed over her shoulder at the Brazilian woman.

Taylor sighed. "Issy don't make Riley late to chemistry, you've already missed most of lunch. Katarina go to the bathroom, I'll be there shortly." She instructed as calmly as she could muster. Malcolm was certainly right and she owed him five bucks for it. Ever since the hiccup four days ago Kat and Issy never missed an opportunity to snipe at each other. She couldn't imagine what it would be like when Riley rejoined them.

Kat groaned as she got of the stool and limped down the hall. It hurt to even walk or move. Issy snorted and tossed her black curls over her shoulder.

"Who died and put you in charge suddenly Taylor?" She inquired, eyes sparkling with amusement.

Taylor rolled her blue eyes at her friend. "Chemistry, now." She pressed.

"Picky, picky, picky, don't they miss you at the infirmary or something?" She chuckled.

Taylor let out a sigh. "I left shortly before lunch and I will return there by the time your out of chemistry. Now go to class. Don't get Riley in trouble." She reminded, grabbing a thing of oatmeal, some diaper rash cream, and a thing of Vaseline.

Issy scoffed and stalked out, her appearance growing paler and taller. Taylor sighed and made her way to the bathroom. Kat sat on the sink expectantly. "I feel like a helpless invalid." She snapped, scowling at herself in the mirror.

"What's the cream for? I don't wear diapers." Kat huffed.

Taylor sighed and then smirked at the girl. "This is for all the personal areas unless you prefer to put the cortisone back down there." She replied casually. Her tone was joking but completely serious.

Kat scowled at her. "I put it on this time. Don't need you checking that out anymore." She huffed, trying to pretend she still had dignity.

Taylor snorted. "Katarina, I am doctor I've seen it all. Besides I don't need you contorting yourself. You could damage other areas of your skin that way." She remarked. "Besides I need to check that area to make sure you don't have any infections down there. Due to your fragile skin you're open to infection." She added casually, turning the water on with her hand. It was nice and warm.

"Why would I have an infection down there? I'm not doing anything nefarious." She scoffed, wincing as she crossed her arms.

Taylor snorted and smiled at the crabby teen. "I don't care Katarina, I'm still checking." She replied firmly.

Kat groaned. "Whatever. I never wanted to come here anyway." She huffed, leaning against the mirror. Taylor chuckled.

She was going to suggest a hypothesis to Malcolm. That all it must be a Loric thing to have an enormous pride, and when it sustained a large blow it was the end of the world. She tested the water and read the box of oatmeal. She was going to need to grab more oatmeal. She was disturbed when there was a knock on the door.

"Umm Taylor, Riley is conscious." Debra replied.

"I'll be out in a minute. Can you delay her for now? I'm kind of busy with Kat." Taylor called over her shoulder.

"Of course, one patient at a time." Debra answered.

"Also can you grab me two more boxes of oatmeal?" She questioned.

"Of course." The older woman replied.

Kat sighed and readjusted herself on the sink, wincing as she moved.

"Hold on. I almost got the bath ready." Taylor reassured, turning the water off and pouring the first box of oatmeal in. She sighed. Kats enough of a handful as it is. Now one bottom lined invalid finally rejoined the land of the living. What joys would Riley bring? Debra opened the door a crack and put to boxes of oatmeal on the floor.

"I know you two are busy in there but Riley says she has to pee really bad." She spoke softly.

Taylor groaned. "I'll trade you patients. You finished preparing the oatmeal bath and I got the invalid." She suggested, opening the door all the way. Wonders will never cease. The bathroom was barely big enough for two people let alone four. This should be interesting.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter nine

Kat walked into Riley's room and gingerly sat down on the air mattress. Taylor came in to check on Riley. Having already helped the girl back into us bed after going to the bathroom.

"Alright so how's everyone's favorite patient?" Taylor questioned, shining her pen light in Riley eyes.

Kat scoffed. "I thought I was your favorite." She smirked, propping herself up on her elbows.

Riley let out a raspy chuckle. "You whine." She spoke in a raspy and forced tone. Like she had to force each word out.

"And you don't there miss martyr?" Kat teased.

Taylor chuckled. "Alright don't make her strain. I'll bring you two a tablet so she can answer you. Let me examine her. Make sure there's no serious damage from Malcolm's first attempt." She shined her flashlight in each of Riley's ears. "Alright open you mouth Ri." She instructed, shining the light in Riley's opening mouth. She took her stethoscope out of her pocket and helped Riley sit up. She put it on Riley's back. "Breath in and out as deeply as you can." She suggested. Riley did as she was told, coughing when they were done. Taylor laid her back against the pillows. She put it on Riley's chest. "Repeat." Riley sighed and repeated. Taylor grabbed the BP cuff of the nightstand.

Riley let out an agitated huff and pointed to her mouth. "Your fine Riley. No need to talk." Taylor reassured, wrapping the cuff around her arm.

Riley pointed to the sensor on her neck.

Taylor raised an eyebrow. "Hold on and I'll get you a tablet." She replied, squeezing the pump to blow up the cuff.

Kat snorted. "I think she means don't the sensors do all this?"

Taylor chuckled. "They do but sometimes it's good to do things the old fashion way. Make sure the sensors are telling the truth."

Riley rolled her sapphire eyes at Taylor. "Don't be sassy with me. I could be cruel and let Issy in here when she gets back." She smirked.

Riley let out a pained groan. Taylor chuckled, satisfied with the BP cuff and pulled out a thermometer, sticking it in Riley's mouth. "Yeah I know I'm a horrible person." She chuckled. She pulled it out and left the room. She came back with Nine's spare tablet. "No hacking, prank calling, or scheming of any sorts. Or Lexa and your father will murder me." She spoke handing Riley the tablet.

Kat chuckled and forced herself to get up off the mattress.

"And no legacy usage. Your still way to close to bottom to even attempt." Taylor reminded. "Kat, don't tire out Riley. The sooner she recovers the sooner you can stop shapeshifting." She added. "Don't burn the house down. Malcolm will be here before Issy gets back. Don't murder each other until those steroids start working. Your skin is too fragile for any brawls." Taylor finished, before walking out and shutting the door behind her.

"Yes mother!" Kat called out loud enough Taylor could hear her through the door. She scanned Riley's movie collection. She selected hunger games or Percy Jackson. "Blink once for a hunger games marathon twice for Percy Jackson."

Riley blinked once. "Excellent choice, I prefer dystopian to having to learn mythology." Kat chuckled putting it in the DVD player. "Now can you share the bed? The view from mine sucks." Kat teased. She helped Riley scooch over and make room for her on the bed. Riley even offered to share the blanket with her. "Alright let's watch some kids die." Kat chuckled.

Riley tapped away on the tablet. _You are a morbid person aren't you? There are many other reasons to like the Hunger games. Like rooting for Katniss? _

Kat threw her head back and laughed. "Yeah there's that too. But also all the horrible deaths." Riley rolled her eyes and relaxed. She was glad to have company at least. And not in the form of Isabela Silva.

* * *

Kat had been in Riley's room with Riley. She was much more alert today than she was yesterday. Kat was helping Riley eat though. Riley was still not coordinated enough to eat certain foods. Like a hamburger for instance. Kat chuckled, holding the burger up to Riley's mouth. Riley had been laughing too hard to focus on it.

"I don't care if this looks stupid, bite the stupid burger before I shove it down your throat." Kat teasingly threatened. "Unless you want me to go get Taylor and have her put that feeding tube back in."

Riley teasingly scowled at Katarina and leaned forward to bite the burger, bun and all.

Kat chuckled. "Atta girl. Now chew it thoroughly and swallow." She advised. Riley rolled her eyes at Kat, ready to open her mouth. Kat held a finger up. "Ah no talking with food in your mouth." She smirked.

Riley swallowed. "Since when did you become my mother?" Riley teased, smirking at Kat.

"I could go get Issy." Kat suggested with a grin.

"You wouldn't. That's child abuse." Riley argued.

"Take another bite flatline." Kat suggested, holding the burger to Riley's mouth.

Riley took another bite. The door opened and Lexa walked in. "What did I just walk in on?" She chuckled, shutting the door behind her.

Kat chuckled. "Helping invalid number one find her mouth."

Riley gave Kat an annoyed look as she chewed. Lexa chuckled and shook her head. "Okay so we've finally gotten to figuring out what our fugitives purchased. So Riley in all your free time, Katarina you may help too, figure out what was used on who." She remarked, handing them a folder of papers. "This Evangeline never uses the same color on the same person twice so it's a process of elimination." she added. "I wish you luck. You may resume whatever it is I just walked in on." Lexa chuckled, walking back out.

Kat held the hamburger up again. "Eat first, look at paperwork later." Kat reminded. "We have all of tonight and all day tomorrow. Well you do. I'll be available anytime after one." She added absentmindedly.

* * *

Riley let out a yawn as she sat on the island. "You're sure you're up to being out of bed?" Taylor inquired, giving Riley the concerned motherly look.

"Yes Taylor, I'm fine. If not Kat can help me back to bed." Riley suggested, spreading out the paperwork on the island.

Kat nodded from her stool next to Riley. "Yes ma'am. I got miss martyr here. I'll make sure she eats, drinks, and takes a nap." Kat saluted, gesturing to the sandwiches, chips, and propel bottles in front of them. "And I will help her to the bathroom as well." She smirked at Riley.

Riley rolled her eyes. "And I will make sure Katarina eats, drinks, takes a nap, and doesn't kill Issy." She casually mentioned.

"So go, war games will be starting and within the first five to ten minutes your gonna have patients to tend to. We'll be fine. If not we send Issy out to alert you folks." Riley shooed Taylor away.

"Alright you know where to find help." She spoke, still looking unconvinced as she left the cabin.

Riley laughed and spread out the paperwork. "Alright let's get down to business shall we?" Riley questioned, looking at Kat.

"So what do we know?" Kat questioned, grabbing a sandwich.

"We know that three tubes of permanent hair color were purchased. A one, a seven, and a nine. Translation is black, dirty blonde, and light blonde." Riley answered, reading off the note. "And that we need to go down the list of hair colors they've been because they don't repeat hair colors." She explained, smirking at Kat devouring a sandwich.

"Sounds complicated." Kat spoke, dropping the sandwich on the island.

"Well we have all afternoon to figure it out. Maybe make a chart?" Riley suggested, reaching for a sandwich.

"Good grief you two would honestly waste your afternoon making a data table rather than ask the professional hairdresser that is sitting right here." Issy drawled from the couch in the living room area of the room.

"Well ya know we wouldn't want to pull you away from your gossip magazines and afternoon talk shows." Kat remarked with a forced smile.

"I'd watch myself there Katarina." Issy commented, rolling the r and enunciating the i.

"Bite me bride of Frankenstein." Kat remarked, viciously biting her sandwich.

Riley had the bit her tongue at Kat's quip. That was a good one.

"Katarina Sarah Goode and Isabella Silva please knock it off." Riley sighed. "Issy either be helpful or be quiet."

Kat muttered something under breath. The long limbed Brazilian woman gracefully got off the couch and strided over to them. Riley knew the chick was using morfen already. Her natural resting state seemed to be using morfen to appear more normal looking.

"Alright so we got levels one, seven, nine right?" Issy questioned, pulling up a stool.

"Correct." Riley nodded, grabbing the note to show her. Issy examined it with a frown.

"I can simplify this. Not data tables required." She remarked, looking at them over the note with her dark eyes. "Physical description from most recent run in with EG. Specially hair color." She questioned, grabbing a pencil.

Kat search through the file before pulling a sheet out. "Destiny had dirty blonde hair and father had black hair. Then from security camera footage from the Cosmosprof in Erie the aunt has chocolate brown hair." Kat read.

"Children children this is simple. Developer was bought as well. They go hand and hand with color tubes. A ten developer, a twenty developer a thirty developer, and bleach powder were also purchased. The ten goes with the level one color, no real lifting just oxidizing and activating. Black needs no help going on." She explained. "So that doesn't help us. Make sense?" Issy questioned, looking up at them.

"What about the others then Einstein." Kat retorted, looking unconvinced.

"Kat." Riley warned, looking over her shoulder at the girl.

Issy sighed. "Alright let me put it this way. If I was to make you a pure blonde Katarina I'd use a thirty to lift a couple levels. Because your already a dirty blonde. Whereas if I was to make Riley a pure blonde it'd take more work. Being as she's naturally as black as ink I'd mix the thirty developer, or maybe forty and bleach powder together to bleach her hair blonde and letting it sit before applying any color to it. Less damaging that way." She shrugged. "Because we don't want to damage your precious mane." She smirked.

Riley snarled at Issy. "Because I'm assuming you have virgin hair Riley. Unlike Katarina who I guarantee doesn't have virgin hair." Issy chuckled, smiling at Kat.

"Bite me Frankenstein." Kat snapped bitterly. "Just trying to help ladies. If you want we can even test it out." She suggested optimistically.

Kat slapped the island. "How about knock off the condescension and back off. Besides Malcolm wouldn't approve of you putting chemicals on his precious anomaly's hair." She scowled around Riley.

"I don't think coloring her hair would have anything to do with his cure research." Issy challenged.

"Alright no one is coloring my hair at the moment. Besides I'd never let you of all people do it personally. If anyone was to ever color my hair it'd be Lexa or Kat." Riley reasoned.

"Alright back on topic. So Evangeline went from brown to black, Marcus is going from black to blonde, and Destiny is going from dirty blonde to pure blonde." Kat redirected. "That is if I understand how to world of professional hair color functions." She remarked, grinning at Issy's cockiness.

Issy wrinkled her nose at Kat. "That is a correct assumption. See I saved you folks hours of work trying to solve Lexa's simple problem." Issy shrugged, smiling like she'd won a prize.

Riley looked over and Kat had already put the file back together. "Alright you may return to your gossip magazines and talk shows. I got an invalid to feed, hydrate, and put to bed." Kat replied, sounding as annoyed as she was.

Riley chuckled and she delicately got off her stool. "So do I do if you don't mind." She added cheerfully.

Kat gave Riley a concerned look. "Can you do make it to your room on your own?" She questioned cautiously.

Riley snorted, slowly walking away. "I got to get back in action somehow." She dismissed.

Kat shrugged and levitated the folder, the food, and the drinks after her as she walked down the hall after Riley.

* * *

Issy sarcastically clapped as Riley, Taylor, and Malcolm joined them around the kitchen island. "Congratulations ladies and gentlemen, you escaped the Academy with the lamest excuse ever." She drawled, dark eyes full of disdain.

Riley climbed up on a stool and yawned. "I don't remember asking your opinion there Frankenstein." Kat remarked with a fake smile as she sat next to Riley, perched on a stool. Taylor snorted.

Malcolm groaned. "Katarina." He warned.

Issy made a disdainful click of her tongue. "Katarina? Is that Spanish?" She inquired, with a condescending smirk.

"It's none of you business there Frankenstein." Kat hissed, palms flat against the island.

"Oh did I touch a nerve there princess?" Issy teased.

Nine pinched the bridge of his nose. "Isabela Silva, I am not at fault if she vaults over that island and beats the crap out of you." He remarked with a grin.

Issy wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Like the freak of nature would dare. She is a disgrace to Human Garde everywhere." She scoffed.

Kat let out a growl. "At least I give a crap about my kind and don't try to charade as someone I'm not." She hissed.

Riley sighed and grabbed Kat by the collar. "Alright let's go this way before any blood is drawn." She suggested, gently guiding Kat away from the island.

"Yeah pathetic little halfbred. Just run away like the rest of your pathetic kind." Issy taunted.

Kat let out a battle cry and lurched out of Riley's grip. Before Issy could even move Kat had gone around the island and tackled the Brazilian women.

Nine and Lexa moved out of the way, both wearing smirks. Malcolm watched from his place around the island, out of the line of fire.

Kat had wrapped her hands around Issy's throat. "Why don't you just shut up? You such a little brat!" She demanded. Issy gasped for air, manicured nails digging into Kat's hands. Kat shook the woman. "So don't you dare badmouth something you don't dare to understand." She hissed.

Nine sighed and got up, walking over. "Katarina Sarah Goode, release Frankenstein before you actually suffocate her." He spoke warningly.

Kat's muscles tended but she released, letting the woman's head bang off the laminate floor.

"Fine." She snapped, getting up and storming down the hall. Riley chuckled. "See ya." She spoke casually, following after Kat.

Issy grumbled something under her breathe as she righted herself. Suddenly the butchers block came to life and the knives flew across the kitchen heading for Kat. Nine's hand shot up and the knives froze mid air.

"Isabela Silva don't make me scramble you. I will not have you murdering anyone in my house or in my school." He demanded.

Taylor facepalmed. It was gonna be a long night. "So within the next few days Malcolm you should have all the copies of the fMRIs." She remarked, trying to be tactful.

Malcolm nodded. "Good we can then study them further." He awkwardly spoke. Trying to help her ease the tension.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Casey sighed and looked at the map. "Turn right at the next intersection." He morbidly spoke.

Sidney raised an eyebrow at him before making a right. "Just think. The faster we get this done the faster we can get back. Maybe we can catch the tail end of the games?" She optimistically suggested.

"Turn left and park somewhere in the parking lot." Casey scowled. He reached for the Rumble Ponies baseball cap, securing it over his man bun and pulling it low over his eyes.

Adelina snorted. "Geez you'd think he'd have gotten a makeover by Ceci." She smirked. "Oh wait that's just Sidney and I."

Henri chuckled from his seat, pulling a Cleveland Browns cap on. "Admit it Adel. You were ecstatic to dye your hair." He teased.

Adelina flipped her newly dyed brown hair at him. Sidney snorted and pulled into a parking space. "Who isn't? I enjoyed it. Much different than that time Riley got a thing of Manic panic for her eleventh birthday." She smiled. "Now what's our target again? We're at the Holland Public Library."

Casey sighed. "Eve is disguised at Violetta Black and works the front desk for this place. Hopefully either Destiny is with or she at least will listen to us." He explained, getting out.

"Excuse me but what has gotten your panties in a bunch?" Sidney asked curiously, getting out.

"It just feels weird. Okay?" Casey huffed, crossing his muscular arms.

"Casey is losing his position as an only child. He's just still coming to terms with it." Henri commented with a small smirk.

Adelina was the last out. "Alright focus. We aren't going home without them. So let's focus." She suggested.

Sidney went for the door and held it open for the others. Inside had a desk on the right and tables with chairs on the left. Down the center and against the walls were endless bookshelves with different signs hanging from the ceiling. "I'll go check the shelves. Spread out." Casey spoke softly, walking off towards the shelves.

"I'll go with him and put his head in the game." Henri remarked, following Casey.

Adelina facepalmed. "I've never seen him so detached and out of it before. This must be serious." She sighed. "So how does this work?" She quietly asked.

Sidney chuckled. "Follow me." She softly replied. Sidney grinned and tucked a black strand of hair back before approaching the desk.

An older woman with short fluffy white hair looked up through round spectacles. "Welcome to the Holland Public Library, How may I help you ladies?" She warmly asked.

"Hello, were looking for a Violet Black. Does she work here?" Sidney asked. There was a great crash from the doorway behind the woman's desk.

"Violet? Are you okay back there?" The woman asked sweetly.

Adelina tensed wondering if the woman was about to bolt.

A woman of average height in a simple blue sundress and black leggings came out. Black bun with a pencil sticking out of it and wary hazel eyes. It was startling how much she looked like Casey. "Who's asking?" She coldly spoke, crossing her arms. No one ever asked for her except Marcus or Destiny. Destiny was off the fictional sectional reading. Oh geez we're there more than the two of them?

Adelina smiled. "Easy. Can we talk in private somewhere? We mean no harm?" She reassured with a kind smile.

Sidney had to admit. Adel was just one of those people who had a calming presence.

Eve sighed. "Let em through Maggie. It'll only take a minute." She walked back into the back room.

The elderly woman smiled and opened a swinging part of the counter for them. Adelina and Sidney followed her back.

Eve shut the door behind them. "You don't look like EG but I have a feeling you have similar interests. So out with it." She snapped impatiently, sitting down at her desk.

Sidney could hear her open a drawer and suddenly the woman was pointing a pistol at them. "I'd hate to have to use this on you. You both look too pretty to get a bullet in your heads." She glared, hazel eyes hard and cold.

Sidney instantly jerked her hand and the gun went soaring from the woman's hand into Sidney's. "Brave brave woman to point a gun at a pair of HGs. Now let's all talk like civilized human beings before doing anything rash." She suggested.

Adelina sighed and held up her hands. "Easy. We are most definitely not EG instead we are something else. You've probably heard about us in the news. The resistance, the rebellion, the runaways. But we want to help you. Provide you shelter and safety away from EG. For your brother and your niece." She warmly and calmly explained. "Your nephew is still in shock but once he gets over it-" Sidney started.

"If he gets over it. He seemed pretty out of it." Adelina sighed.

Eve gasped and covered her mouth. "Casey is here? Now?"

Sidney and Adelina nodded in unison. "Much against his will." Sidney added.

"How do I know your gonna be able to protect us from EG? What's a bunch teenagers got against EG?" She challenged.

"That we are extensive and becoming more organized everyday. We've existed for almost five years now, our leader is the one and only Cecilia Smith aka Athena, and we are supported and assisted by original Garde members." Adelina answered quickly.

Eve's eyebrows went up. "Quite the pitch. Is there anyone else with you?" She asked.

"My brother." Adelina shrugged. "He's off wandering with your nephew."

Eve looked alarmed. "Oh dear." She remarked getting up.

"What?" Sidney asked, stowing the gun in her bag. "Destiny is off reading in the fiction section." She answered bluntly, heading for the door. "We should find her. She doesn't know Casey exists." She added hastily, opening the door.

"To be fair. Casey didn't know she existed either until we started on your trail and his mother connected the dots." Adelina shrugged casually.

"Besides it's not like either will know who the other is. They've never met." Sidney suggested before following them out.

* * *

"I know it's shocking and confusing that you have a little sister and a father but why the shutdown right now? We've known about their existence for months now." Henri asked.

Casey ducked around another shelf not showing any signs of slowing down.

"Dude slow your roll and get your head screwed on straight. We can't have you out in left field." Henri sighed. He sighed as when he made the corner he'd lost sight of Casey. "Mercy." He muttered, starting to search for Casey through the shelves.

* * *

Casey was searching through shelves. Palms clammy and his heart racing in his chest. His stomach was flipping like a flapjack and he honestly felt sick. Maybe he was feverish and coming down with something.

His mind was miles away as he turned another corner. He stopped in his tracks when he saw the girl laying on the floor reading a book. The cover said _Seven Wonders: The Rise of the Colossus. _Her white blonde hair was sticking out from around her head like the petals of a flower. Her soft hazel eyes were scanning the pages of the book with complete interest.

He felt ready to pass out, maybe if he turned around he could act like he was never there. She was too interested in her book to notice his presence. He just turned around when a voice caused him to whip back around.

"What the literal Hades is a Rumble Ponies hat doing in the state of Michigan? I didn't think people outside of the triple cities of the southern tier of New York knew they even existed." A female voice remarked sharply. Warm hazel eyes looked up from the book and met his emerald eyes. The nimble girl right herself and shut her book. Tucking her blonde strands back behind her petite and delicate ears. The warm smile, the warm hazel eyes, the comforting presence all felt so familiar. He stared at her slack jawed. His mind unable to process anything in the moment. How many teenage girls were lurking in this library at ten a.m. in the morning? What were the chances?

"Gods of Olympus why do all teenage boys gawk at me? I am not that attractive. I don't see the appeal. I'm too awkward and my hair is stupidly frizzy and my face is pimple haven. I don't get it." She shrugged casually. "So lets try this again. Hi, I am Rosetta Mills you are?" She asked curiously. "And you don't attend Lakeview High by any chance right? Because if so get away from me." She commented absentmindedly. She chuckled. "Sorry I don't talk to a lot of people so I when I do talk I talk a lot and ramble on a little erratically. Actually a lot erratically." She giggled.

"You aren't flirting are you Harry? I know a chick that will kick your butt of you are." Henri teased, coming up behind Casey. "Oh hello." He bluntly spoke realizing Destiny was sitting there. "I'm John and this is Harry. You said your name is Rosetta? That's a pretty name." Henri smiled kindly.

"Why thank you. Your buddy here made the corner and stared at me. Mouth wide open which it is still wide open. Better be careful. A fly might fly in." She smirked, crossing her hands over the cover of the book she'd been reading. "Unless you're into eating bugs. I've heard that some people actually like that." She casually shrugged.

Henri chuckled and nudged Casey who was white as a sheet. "Earth to Harry." Henri teased.

"Harry is mentally absent and I believe only his mommy can fix him at this point." Sidney commented, coming down the aisle from the other direction. Adelina and Eve followed her.

"Come on Rose, we're heading out." Eve replied.

Destiny looked confused. "But work?" She asked, furrowing her blonde eyebrows.

Eve winked. "Come on." She pressed. "Your father is already en route to the house. So let's go."

Destiny shrugged and got up. "Can I take my book with me? I was busy reading it." She replied.

Eve chuckled. "Fine, but in your backpack. It's technically library property." She quietly spoke as she smirked. Destiny shoved it unceremoniously into a purple backpack leaning against the shelf and threw the bag on her shoulder.

"Alright let's go." She grinned excitedly.

* * *

Casey was pacing with his hands behind his back. "Can he hurry up?" He sighed. "We don't know how long until our buddies find us. They could've caught us on any of the traffic cameras." He scoffed.

"Dude. Get a grip. Before I get a grip on you." Sidney scolded, pale blue eyes glaring at him.

Henri snorted. "Isn't that his girlfriends job?" He smirked.

"She's not available so I am the next best thing." Sidney huffed.

Eve chuckled from her position on the deck railing. Destiny was at her feet nose buried in her book again. A man with disheveled dirty blonde hair came out onto the porch.

"Sorry. Had to wait for my sub." He replied.

Eve nodded. "Well since I've got everything ready for a move let's go Einstein." She teased.

"Can I ask what's going on?" He asked warily.

"I ain't touching him. Check him lice." Destiny huffed from the ground.

Eve smirked. "Your daughter has spoken. Give me your head. I'll explain while I check." She teased.

Marcus sighed and flopped into a deck chair. "I was clean last night. And I've been using that tea tree shampoo you have." He argued.

"But you were in the building around children. Children that could potentially be contaminated. I refuse to get lice again." Destiny pointed a menacing finger at her father.

"Remember that research I did?" Eve chuckled, inspecting his hair.

"Yeah and Casey was AWOL and Debra was captured. What's that got to do with a bunch of random teens?"

Casey's knees buckled and Henri wrapped an arm around him. "Easy Hera. Easy." He softly reassured.

"Casey isn't AWOL specifically. He's part of an underground group called the Resistance. Fighting against EG and providing a safe haven for hundreds of HGs. Shall I continue or is Harry gonna pass out before I finish?" Eve asked, facing Henri.

"No way." Marcus gasped, staring at Casey in horror. As if possessed Casey suddenly stood up, yanked off his cap and marched over to Marcus. A crack echoed through the yard as he slapped Marcus right across the face. "That's only the beginning." He glared. Remembering what his mother had explained to him about this man. "And I hope a painful and excruciating death for you. A long a slow one." He bitterly spoke.

Destiny looked alarmed. "You will not touch my father." She snapped, standing up and abandoning her book.

"Our father is a slimeball and he deserves way more than a slap to the face." Casey glared.

Destiny paled as she processed that sentence.

Sidney clapped her hands together. "Alright on that note shall we move on?" She asked curiously.

Adelina took off her loralite pendant and weaves it in her fingers so it rested on her palm. "We're gonna form a circle because Artemis has never experienced this before and we don't want anyone getting lost." She suggested.

"So one of you on each side of me. And then someone goes between Artemis and Apollo." Henri, Casey and Sidney did the same with their pendants. Eve joined hands with Adelina and Destiny joined the other side. Marcus still looked miffed as Henri joined hands with destiny and them him. Casey and Sidney completed the circle. "Alright now hopefully this works." Adelina remarked, before closing her eyes.

* * *

The next thing Destiny knew was that the air was cooler and smelled different. The hands she'd been holding released her and she opened her eyes to look around a massive stone chamber. Laughter came from behind her as the boy and girl hugged each other. The boy in the Rumble Ponies hat was taking his hat off and pulling a hair tie out. Shaking his hair free. "Why does loralite transport feel so weird?" He shuddered.

"CASEY MARCUS RAYA!" A girl in a wheelchair demanded, wheeling over. She looked small and feisty with her choppy short black waves in disarray.

"Miss me G?" Casey smirked.

"You will surrender your ponytail to me." Gia glared.

"Like hell. Your still in the wheelchair are you not?" He teased.

A woman with a messy brown bun a a few cuts and bruises laughed as she came through the opening in the chamber that was heading outside.

"Good to see you all back. Adelina and Henri. Your parents and Hope could use some help outside. Was a heck of a game." She grinned mischievously. Adelina and Henri smirked at each other before racing out the entrance pushing and shoving.

"Ceci what's the grease monkey talking about?" He inquired curiously.

"If she could hold her own in the war game you'd let her chop off your ponytail." Cecilia mischievously smirked.

"That's because that's impossible. She's a hacker not a fighter." He remarked.

A dagger floated in the air in front of him. "Gia, let's not be hasty. We can talk about this." He suggested, holding up his hands.

"You'd better run Hera." Gia smirked, the dagger dancing menacingly.

Casey sprinted out of the cave. Gia was cackling away as she rushed after him. Pushing her wheels as fast as possible after the fleeing teen.

Sidney smirked. "Did she really prove herself?" Sidney inquired.

"She actually did pretty good but made me executive decision that she's more useful as our hacker extraordinaire. But Casey doesn't need to know that. I want the ponytail gone too honestly." Cecilia smirked.

"Now can you please escort Destiny outside? I'm sure Six would love to meet her." She suggested causally.

Destiny's jaw drop. "Six? As in The Six?" She asked incredulously.

"The one and only. She's outside. Just finished war games." Cecilia grinned.

"Go on. We'll be out shortly." Eve gave a reassuring smile.

Destiny bounced excitedly as she followed Sidney out. Sidney only had one concern. How was she supposed to know where Six was? And pick her out? She'd never met Six herself. Cecilia must be in a rush.

* * *

Cecilia folded her hands behind her back. Eyes darkening and losing their friendly glowly. "I wanted to remove Destiny so she doesn't get the wrong impression of me. And honestly Eve you can leave too. But I want to have some words with darling Marcus." Her voice now carried a menacing edge "Maybe a few fist punches as well. But alas I must save some flesh because there is a line of people who want to beat the snot out of him. For being such a conniving slimeball. Although he did work for EG so that makes sense." She whirled and glared at Marcus.

"Anything you want to say to your defense? About threatening to turn your lover into EG if she didn't hand over her daughter? No questions asked?" Cecilia darkly spoke. "Because I am not a pleasant person when I hear those things." Her muscles tensed as an invisible force tightened around Marcus. "Where did you get off threatening the mother of your children with EG?" She barked, muscles pulled taunt.

Marcus hazel eyes darkened as he met her glare. "Where do you get for treating me like this?" He scoffed.

An invisible force propelled her away from him. She formed herself into a flip and landed on all fours, sliding on the caverns stone floor.

Eve saw the woman's body start the strangest process. It was bleeding and healing simultaneously as these white things poked out of her body. They were suddenly airborne and orbiting around her.

"It would do you good Marcus to know who your talking to before attacking." She darkly spoke.

Marcus paled. "No way. Your believed dead." He gasped.

"So is your sister supposedly and yet here she is. Also how about I threaten to report you, you filthy hypocrite." Cecilia challenged.

Eve watched in horror. "You did what?" She spoke suddenly, glaring at her twin brother.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Taylor turned away from John and Riley training and walked into Malcolm's lab. It had been almost a month since the first try at a cure knocked her out. Malcom looked up from his microscope. "How May I help you Taylor? Shouldn't you be out with everyone else watching Riley?" He asked slightly confused, pushing his glasses up.

Taylor handed him a piece of paper. "Riley's last physical check. I did it this morning and the past two weeks has me concerned."

Malcolm raised a dirty blonde eyebrow. "I haven't seen anything particularly alarming in her vital statistics. It all seems to be right where it should." He shrugged.

"Have you noticed her weight? The past two weeks it's in a nose dive and I'm concerned for her welfare. She's losing ten to twelve pounds per week. If this trend continues, she could be facing the signs of malnutrition in the coming weeks. Her bones are already becoming very well defined and I believe her metabolism is still spiking." Taylor remarked. "She weighed 186 before the cure, 175 when she came out of it. She was at 164 before your first attempt of a cure and now she's just 139 which is honestly alarming. I will give to the fact teenagers weight does shift but twenty-five pounds in a month? That's not healthy. We need to fix this before she suffers much more. She's already complaining of fatigue and her legacies are screaming in protest. Please tell me you have adjusted your hypothesis." She pressed, blue eyes full of concern for the girl down in the gym. She understood what it was like to feel helpless, she felt that way when she was with the Foundation and still feels about EG honestly.

Malcolm ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "I am scared too for the girl. I'm scared for Nine as well and what this is doing to him. I've seen the change too. But I don't know how to fix it." He slammed his clenched fist into the table. "I am cursed to watch a girl I love like my own child waste away because nothing I do helps her. Everything I do makes it worse." He bitterly snapped, glaring up at Taylor with hard hazel eyes.

She had never seen him like this in her entire time knowing Malcolm. The spark of curiosity that was always in eyes was gone. Replaced by a harsh glint in his weary hazel eyes. He threw his scrawny arms up in the air in surrender.

"I can study all the samples and blood tests I want. I can research every anomaly there is to be found in HGs but it is getting me nowhere and she is running out of time. Think of how you feel and multiply that. That is how I feel and it comes nowhere near what Nine feels right now." He harshly spoke to her. An edge in his voice she had never heard before. "So Yes Taylor I am trying in vain. I just ignore the symptoms so I try to focus on how to fix her." He sighed, burying his worn face in his shaking hands. "Because for the first time in my twenty some years of studying legacies I got nothing. The loralite dust almost killed her and so did the ATP shot. Adding glucose might put her into diabetic coma. And I hate not being able to do anything!" He exclaimed in frustration.

Taylor stood there in shock of how defeated he was. "Malcolm-" She started softly but was cut off by Lexa rushing in.

"It's bad. Taylor they need you down there now. Riley just collapsed. John can't get any response and his healing isn't working. Nine can't find a pulse." She worriedly spoke.

Malcolm slammed his face into the table and groaned in frustration but Taylor didn't care, she was already rushing for the stairwell.

* * *

It was tense down on the gym floor. "Damnit Riley fight!" Nine demanded, frantically performing CPR on her chest.

"What on earth were you two doing?" Taylor asked worriedly, kneeling next to Riley and placing her hands on Riley's head.

"She said she was fine. She tried going nuclear and then went down like a sack of potatoes." John held up his hands. "She said she could do it." He added hastily. "Who am I to tell her not to push the limits?"

Nine glared at John. "Because she shouldn't be doing that. Her body isn't in a state to be even using energy manipulation. Too much at once." Nine demanded.

Lexa scrambled over with a black case. Taylor took it immediately and opened it, placing Riley's head on the floor. "Nine take her shirt off now." Taylor instructed, pulling out two pads hooked to the machine by wires.

"But your the healer." He argued as he ripped her shirt open. "Healing works when her heart is beating. It's dead in the water so compress when I say and get your hands out of my way when I say." She instructed sternly, attaching the pads to her bare skin. "Clear!" She shouted hitting a button and Riley's body jerked. "Compress." She commanded.

The machine spoke and Nine pulled his hands away.

"Clear!" Riley's body jerked again but the machine beeped. Taylor put her fingers on Riley's neck. "Thank the elders." She gasped, shoulders sagging. "It's faint but she's back with us." She spoke before being wrapped in a bone crushing hug. "Nine. Don't break me." She gasped but grinned like an idiot.

Lexa was leaning on Malcolm looking relieved. "She's gonna be fine?" She asked softly.

"Her heart is beating and she's breathing so I can't guarantee fine but she's alive. That's what matters." Taylor replied slowly.

Nine released her and scooped up Riley. "No more training." He ordered sharply.

John put an arm around Nine even if the man was taller and more muscular than him and they walked towards the door. Suddenly John and Nine disappeared from view.

"I'm gonna go open the door for them." Lexa quickly replied before rushing off to help the invisible men.

Malcolm sighed and looked helplessly at Taylor. "I can't live with myself if she dies from this." He admitted softly, burying his weary face in his hands.

"I won't let you. This is gonna work out. She's gonna pull through stronger than ever. Remember? Nothing knocks Riley down for long. She always gets up in the end." She reassured, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Now come on I need your help to get some things for Riley out of the infirmary." She suggested, heading for the door.

* * *

For the first time in the past month Kat and Issy were both equal in something. Both being absolutely baffled by the fact that Lexa opened the door and walked in and then John and Nine came out of nowhere. But what concerned Kat the most was the fact that Riley was completely limp in Nines arms. She went to open her mouth but Lexa shook her head and helped Nine down the hall into Riley's bedroom.

John collapsed onto a stool and buried his head in hands. Looking so defeated for the supposed hero of the world. He was John Smith. He defeated Setrakus Ra and ended the Mogadorian war. Everyone knew who he was and he was this great and powerful dude. But right now he looked like he was collapsing beneath the weight of the world. As if the Mogs had conquered earth or something. But neither female spoke but just stood there in confused silence at the scene.

Malcolm and Taylor came eventually and carried equipment to Riley's room without a word. Debra had come out of the bathroom and watched in horror before joining the girls in the kitchen.

"What happened?" She slowly spoke.

"Riley is dying. Her heart stopped in the gym." John slowly answered, not looking up from his hands that were shaking. "Loric elders is she gonna live?" Kat demanded, hands on the island.

"What she said. I thought Malcolm had this under control." John sighed and his shoulders slouched. "Malcolm can't control everything and is trying hard to fix it but Riley can't take many more failed attempts. Her body isn't strong enough. She's losing strength everyday now." He spoke quietly. As if his voice would break into a thousand pieces if he spoke louder.

Malcolm and Taylor came back and sat down around the island followed by Lexa. "We need to talk but he won't leave Riley." She sighed.

John got up and cracked his knuckles before sighing. "I got Stanley." He replied, walking down the hall.

* * *

Kat knew she should be amused by the fact that John kept nudging a piece of buttered toast across the island to Nine but the seriousness of the whole night drained the humor from such a moment.

Malcolm sighed as he looked at the vitals report Taylor gave him. "Regardless of right or wrong I have one more shot at her. But I can't be certain my next attempt will work or make this even worse. She can't take much more. Her body is already so fragile." He argued with Taylor.

"So your just gonna give up and watch her die slowly?" The blonde snapped at him.

"I'm not saying that." Malcolm demanded.

Kat massaged her temples. They'd been bickering for the better part of an hour now with no signs of stopping. Debra kept organizing her already organized colored pencils and John was trying to feed Nine who wasn't having it. Issy was busy flipping through a magazine and Lexa was muttering away to her laptop in some foreign language. If she had to wager a bet, Lexa was muttering Loric probably.

"Alright! By Lorien you argue more than Casey and Ceci!" She snapped impatiently. "Shall I propose a solution before you all make my head explode?" She asked impatiently.

Malcolm looked intrigued and turned to face her. "What?" He asked curiously.

"Oh yes, let's listen to miss can't hold a legacy for five hours." Issy drawled, completely uninterested. Nine glared at Issy before looking at Kat.

"You don't have the formula worked out but Riley can't play guinea pig much longer because her body can't take much more. I understand this right?" She asked sternly.

Taylor and Malcolm nodded at the conclusion. Nine looked intrigued now at Kat. His blue eyes sparkling with a newfound curiosity.

She smiled and sat up a little taller. "What if you had a healthy candidate? That you could test all your formulas on until you get it right and then you can give her the correct formula? You can then focus on keeping her alive until you find the cure." She explained and then looked at all of them.

"But we don't have another test subject. She's the only one." Malcolm argues, furrowing his dirty blonde eyebrows. Reminded her so much of her father's face when he was baffled.

She took a deep breath to steady herself for the next part. "I don't mean to sound callous by any means but Riley is not so special. She's half Loric with a human parent. There are others with one Loric parent and a human parent out there." She suggested to them.

Nine seemed to smirk slightly as if understanding her as did Lexa. Taylor looked horrified but Malcolm scowled.

"No. No way. Not happening. Your mother would kill me." He quickly argued.

"I'm sorry grandfather but you don't have many options left. Issy can take Riley's life full time and take me as your test subject." She pressed. "That way Riley and all of you have to focus on is keeping her alive." Kat argued.

"But you'd lose your legacies." Malcolm pointed out. "That's not happening. You might never get them back."

Kat glared at her grandfather. "My parents have both lost their legacies to some cure wannabe when they were young adults and you said they'd never get their legacies back. They did and are still kicking butt to this day. I believe that you will fix this. I've learned several things while with the resistance. Sometimes you have to put yourself on the line to protect the masses. If I sacrifice myself and you find this cure amazing. But I can't selfishly hold onto my own legacies while watching Riley die because of hers." She demanded, slamming her hands into the counter. "You will give me the cure and then use me as your guinea pig after it takes effect and you will find the cure. We're Goodes. We don't surrender. Am I clear?" She barked at him.

Malcolm looked like she'd punched him in the gut. Taylor put a hand on Malcolm's shoulder. "Malcolm, I know it is an awful idea but can I go hug your amazingly brave granddaughter?" She asked softly.

"We never tell Six about this least we die." Nine bluntly commented.

His voice was like a hammer to the tension and suddenly Kat found laughter bubbling out of her mouth. Issy was laughing right alongside her and pretty soon Lexa, John, and Taylor were joining in on the laughter. Malcolm looked appalled at all of them as they all laughed before managing a small smile after a nudge from Taylor.

* * *

Katarina twiddled her thumbs nervously in her seat. Her heart was desperately trying to explode out of her chest. Her grandfather listing off the symptoms of the cure was not helping by any means. And the scrambler Nine was messing with was beeping obnoxiously loud as he pushed the buttons on it. Was she the only one who thought it was beeping loud? Or that the keys on Lexas laptop were clicking loudly? She gripped the armrests tightly, muscles pulled taunt. _You choose this. But why does it scare me so much? _She thought to herself.

Taylor sighed and knelt in front of Kat. "Your gonna make it. This is an incredibly brave thing your doing. Just breathe. It's just a regular vaccination. Think about that or something happy. What makes you happy?" Taylor softly asked.

"Beating up EG." Kat spoke barely above a whisper, pale face looking down in her lap.

"Just breathe. If your tense this might hurt a little." Taylor advised getting up and walking to the side of Kat's chair. Small soft hands brushed the dirty blonde waves away from Katarinas neck. It felt so revealing to Kat for some reason. Like she was suddenly naked and exposed.

Taylor placed a gentle hand on Kat's neck and she felt the prick of a needle enter her neck. "Just breathe." She advised again as she pushed the plunger.

Kat didn't know if Taylor was saying it to reassure her or saying it for her own benefit. Maybe they were both nervous. Taylor pulled the injector out and tapped a piece of cotton over the injection site. "Alright it's in. Lexa do you have my sensors?" She asked curiously.

Nine was suddenly at Kat's side attaching a scrambler to her wrist.

"Why?" Kat asked looking up at him.

"Because I don't want to know your stage two. I barely wanted to know Riley's." Nine bluntly remarked.

Lexa silently handed a box to Taylor. "And because of Riley we know how to minimize the suffering so think of it that way. You'll save Riley suffering by taking the place of guinea pig. Riley showed us how the cure attacks and how we can make this as comfortable as a transition as possible." Taylor suggested, opening the box.

"Atleast Kat isn't telepathic." Malcolm remarked dryly.

Lexa shuddered. "If Lorien could scream in pain." She muttered.

Taylor sighed. "That won't happen this time." She silently placed the sensors on Kat.

"I don't recommend any strenuous activity because in a few hours the toilet is about to become your best friend." Taylor replied casually. "The one thing I can't give you is drugs for that as Malcolm thinks that would screw with it. Because Riley didn't get any drugs. And I can't give you steroids as steroids suppress the immune system and we don't want that." Taylor explained. "I will do my best to check in on your as much as possible. If you need it I can put an iv in later for fluids and Tylenol for the fever." She suggested gently. "We'll see how hard this hits."

Kat shrugged stretching. "So when can I get the scrambler off? And when is Riley gonna join the land of the living again?" She asked curiously, already playing with the scrambler on her wrist.

"When the cure has run its course. So approximately a week. And we don't know. When her body gets there." Malcolm remarked.

"Fantastic. Enjoy having two invalids again." Kat smirked at Taylor.

Taylor laughed. "Watch it Goode. You won't have the strength to fight me. I could do all sorts of things to you." She teased.

"Bring it Cook. I ain't afraid." Kat remarked before she felt a prick in the side of her neck as Lexa placed a sensor.

"And now we wait." Taylor sighed. "For the storm."

* * *

Riley groaned as she opened her eyes. Her body felt like lead and wasn't listening to her commands to move. So she was basically stuck staring at the peeling ceiling. A small chuckle came from the floor as the air mattress let out a groan. Kat's face came into view.

"Good afternoon invalid. Can you move?" She asked.

Riley shook her head. Well at least those muscles worked.

"That's expected apparently. You've been out cold for thirty days. Taylor says you slipped into a coma. You've been immobile for so long your muscles have atrophied due to the speedy metabolism which has at least plateaued." Kat explained. "Please say something back now." She remarked.

Riley wheezed a laugh. Kat helped her take a drink of water

"I have never." Riley rasped. "Seen you so worried." She finished before coughing.

Kat chuckled as she helped her sit up. "Oh really? Is that the thanks I get for helping save your bacon?" She teased. "Why maybe I'll just keep it to myself then." She pretended to be offended.

Riley wheezed a laugh. "What?" She asked, blue eyes lit up with mirth.

Kat smirked but the door opened before she could speak. Lexa opened the door.

"I hear voices." She hopefully spoke and pulled Riley into a giant hug. "You are never allowed to scare us like that ever again. Do you hear me?" She spoke sharply. "Malcolm has been beside himself thinking he's killed you." She replied quickly.

Riley weakly spoke. "Oxygen. Lexa." She gasped.

Lexa immediately released her and Riley flopped back onto the mattress. "Also not in full control." She weakly frowned, struggling to right herself. That's when she noticed the equipment. "What is all this?" Riley looked baffled. Although she recognized the heart monitor and iv but the rest was foreign.

"Well you were on oxygen until this morning when Taylor wanted to test taking you off of it." Lexa shrugged. "You should recognize the heart monitor and such."

Riley yawned. "Alright now what's this about saving my life Kat?" She asked sleepily.

Kat chuckled. "Go back to sleep Ri, we can talk about it later."

Lexa smiled. "I'll come wake you for dinner." She suggested.

Riley tried to fight it but she dozed back off.

* * *

Kat toyed with a strand of her hair as she waited, leg bouncing anxiously.

Lexa chuckled as she was typing away on her laptop. "EG has grown content with their cure protocol. They aren't as aggressive with finding the resistance as activity has died down. Incase you were wondering." She told Kat casually.

"Good. All the more fun to knock them flat on their arses when we come back with a vengeance." Kat smirked, looking up from toying with her hair. "Because when we get through this we are gonna raid the academy and are not taking no for an answer. I seriously can't wait. That'll show them." Kat proudly spoke.

Malcolm came in carrying the satchel that contained his cure project. "Let's work on restoring legacies first. Then we can go back to giving EG hell. Sound good?" He remarked, delicately placing it on the island and flopping it open.

"So what's the side effects with this one? Seizures? Stroke? Coma?" Kat asked, peeking at the contents curiously.

Malcolm's weary hazel eyes met her inquisitive hazel eyes with a glare. "Must you constantly be so casual about this? This is serious."

Kat feigned offense at her grandfather's irritation. "I'm trying to make light of the situation. Forgive me."

Malcolm pulled out another vial of loralite dust.

Taylor rushed in with Nine. "Sorry Dr Linda was in the infirmary and well this would've been hard to explain." She replied, handing him the tube of clear liquid.

Kat raised an eyebrow. "What's the theory this time? That some kind of drug?" She asked curiously.

Malcolm took it and the loralite dust and mixed them together in a third vial. "On the contrary it is not a drug. It's simply saline. We are gonna see if the answer has been so simple it was overlooked." He explained, loading a syringe with his latest cocktail.

Lexa chuckled. "What's next? Pure Loralite?" She teased.

Malcolm gave her an annoyed look. "You can't just inject dust to the human body and I don't know the melting point of loralite. Also that might be too much of a shock." He argued, finishing up. "Kat?" He asked looking at her.

She brushed her hair aside and revealed the side of her neck to her grandfather. "Fifth is the lucky one right?" She asked before feeling the prick.

"Here's hoping. Maybe Lorien just wants to fix it on its own." Malcolm shrugged. "Honestly it's a shot in the dark but it's all we have right now." He sighed as he pulled it out.

Taylor delicately touched the tiny hole and healed it up.

Kat suddenly hissed and doubled over. A sharp stabbing pain was attacking her skull. The searing pain made her tumble off the stool as she hit the linoleum hard. Curling up in response to the crippling pain.

Taylor had dropped to her knees besides Kat trying to help her. But all she could focus on was the searing pain, as if her brain was gonna explode straight off her shoulders.

It stopped as suddenly as it came and oxygen entered her lungs as if for the first time ever. A warm fuzzy feeling loosened all her muscles as it slowly spread down to her toes. A cool tingling feeling took place in her skull and suddenly she saw Taylor gasp and back away. Slowly Kat righted herself and looked at Taylor. "What?"

Taylor just stared in disbelief. "Holy crap. Malcolm what did you do?" She asked cautiously.

Kat looked at her baffled as she leaned against the cupboards. "What is there something in my teeth? Is my nose bleeding? I give myself a goose egg from the fall?" She asked not liking the look on Taylor's face.

Nine looked over the counter at them and grinned. "Lorien apparently is taking this personally. I've never seen that before." He chuckled.

Kat got to her feet and turned to look at all of them. "Remember me? Can someone tell me what your all staring at?" She huffed, turning in a full circle to look at all of them. Only when her hair fell in her view did she noticed and she did something very unlike herself. She screamed and banged her lower back against the edge of the counter in her jump. "What in the name of Lorien?" She demanded, grasping wildly at her hair. Her once dirty blonde waves had been replaced with cobalt blue waves.

"It's not your whole head at least." Taylor meekly suggested.

"Just the underside." Nine chuckled. "I think it looks good. Definitely a statement." He remarked, leaning against the counter.

Kat walked to the bathroom as calmly as possible and just stared at her reflection. Taylor was right. Then underside of her hair was a shimmering cobalt blue all around the back of her head to her ears. "Malcolm Samson Goode! What in the name of legacies is this!" She demanded, marching back out.

He was searching his notes madly but looked up at her with a sheepish look. "I don't know. Lorien tends to have a mind of its own." He replied meekly. "But you still look beautiful." He added, pushing his glasses up.

"Okay before you murder Bill Nye for looking like a meth head try a legacy." Taylor suggested.

"Thanks Cook." Malcolm winced.

"How about badass?" Nine suggested with a smirk.

Kat rolled her eyes and closed her eyes. Reaching out for her favorite toy to hide the blue. It took a minute but then she felt it. The itchy prickling feeling and she opened her eyes. "Did it work?" She asked curiously.

A cry in delight went up and she smirked at her grandfather who had made such a weird but delighted noise.

"I told you that you'd do it." She remarked before cringing and releasing. "Just gotta shake the rust off." She reassured.

"Well yeah. That was a big legacy for a trial run. Your body has to relearn how to handle legacies." Malcolm explained. "Think of it as going through development again."

Kat chuckled. "Alright legacies and blue hair. Why do I feel like Riley and the resistance are both gonna be cracking up at this?" She smirked.

"Just think. It can be the new symbol of the rebellion. Proof you can't be silenced." Lexa suggested with a grin.

"And there is always bleach." Issy commented from the couch where she'd been reaching another gossip magazine.

Kat snorted. "Oh heck I'll wear this like a badge of courage. I ain't bleaching it." She replied proudly.

Malcolm snorted. "Now that is concerning. Kat not wanting to dye her hair."

Kat smirked before sneezing and then sneezing again immediately after. Descending into a fit of sneezes.

Taylor scrambled for her tablet that was setting off an alarm. "Her body temperature just spiked, 100 degrees and climbing."

Nine put an arm around Kat as she braced herself against the counter sneezing uncontrollably.

"Oh crap." Malcolm muttered, searching through his notes. "Is she rejecting it? The body identified it as an infection maybe?" He muttered nervously.

Kat started sneezing blood before it turned to black goo running from her nose.

Nine raised an eyebrow. "I think it is but not your cure." He replied, eyeing the black ooze that hit the counter.

Kat took a deep breath and it was over. Panting hard as she braced against the counter. Staring at the mingling small puddle of blood and black ooze. "What the heck was that?" She huffed, muscles tense.

"Body temp is going back down." Taylor sighed in relief. "Her body did have an infection." She grinned.

"One I thought I'd never see again." Nine muttered, glaring at the puddle on the counter.

"I thought all that crap was destroyed?" He snapped, looking at Lexa.

"Don't give me the stink eye. Humans are gonna do what humans do." Lexa sharply spoke. "They always find a way to get what they want. They would've figured out a way to get the stuff no matter what."

Nine sighed. "Alright quit lecturing. But this raises the question of how the heck did they get it?" He pointed out.

"It's a mogadorian creation. So they must've had help." Kat looked at them. "They have a whole concentration camp full of them don't they? Who's to say they didn't use that to their advantage?" She suggested. "I'm sure they found someone in that camp that knows how it's made."

Taylor clapped her hands. "We can attack EG all we want later for injecting kids with Mogadorian ooze later. Should I go wake Riley?" She smiled. "I would say wait because she's fragile but we need to bring her body back to its senses before it passes the point of no return."

Malcolm sighed. "I want to study the effects on Kat before we give it to Riley. To make sure she can take it."

Taylor sighed and rested her head in her hands. "It didn't kill Kat. Isn't that enough?"

Malcolm looked offended. "I don't want to be responsible for killing that child. She has nine months on Kat." He sharply remarked.

"And one of these days she's gonna go into cardiac arrest and not come out of it. Or seize and that's it. Her body is done Malcolm. She's barely alive as we speak and weighs one hundred and twenty pounds. If she wakes up again how long until she's gotta be on life support? Because her body is done Malcolm. We need to take this Hail Mary before it's too late." Taylor argued back. "And we can't bring her back. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Getting weaker everyday." She sighed, resting her elbows on the counter. "I don't know how much longer she's gonna be breathing at this rate. So what do you say Goode? I say we hope Lorien loves her and do it. Because there is only so much I can do to keep her alive at this point." She wearily looked at him before her tablets alarm went off. She grabbed it and opened it. "Crap." She muttered, dropping it on the counter. She snatched the half empty vial from Malcolm and the used syringe.

"That's not sterile!" Malcolm protested as she ran for Riley's room.

Taylor load the syringe as she telekinetically opened the door. The heart monitor in her room going berserk as her heart rate tanked. "Easy girl. Help is finally here." She reassured, tilting Riley's head gently and exposing the korated artery. Gently inserting the needle and pushing down on the plunger. "Side effects include sneezing, blue hair, and Loric scarring but I presume you'd like to live." She nervously joked as she stepped back and looked at the read out on the monitors.

The heart monitor detected nothing for a minute. "Come on Ri." Taylor frowned, getting ready to do compressions when her whole body shuddered and the heart monitor started beeping again. Rising with each beat as Riley's chest started expanding and decompressing rapidly. Her eyelids flickering rapidly. Malcolm and Nine stood in the doorway.

Malcolm holding Taylor's tablet. "She went down but she's coming back." He smiled, holding it out. "Everything is coming back." Taylor took the tablet and looked at all the levels. "Atta girl Riley. I knew you still had a little fight left."

Riley's eyes shot open as her body temperature took a dangerous spike and her torso started heaving. Nine beat them to her side and helped her get on her side. She started dry heaving but slowly black goo dribbled out of her mouth.

He rubbed her back as she heaved. "It's gonna be okay. Get it all out." He reassured. Smiling when he saw that the underside of her black mane had turned the same shimmering cobalt blue.

When she was done Malcolm came back with a wet washcloth and a glass of water. "Gave us quite the scare Ri." He smiled as Nine took the wash cloth and wiped her mouth off.

"And once your back up and running were kicking EGs ass. Mogadorian ooze is illegal and crossing major lines." Nine bitterly spoke, helping her sit up.

Taylor held the glass to her lips. "I know you want me to say the hardest part is over but you still got an uphill battle of recovery before your okay." She chuckled.

Riley managed a small chuckle as Nine wrapped her in a tight hug. "You are never allowed to scare me like that again." He scolded as he squeezed her tight.

"Dad. Ribs" she gasped from within his tight embrace.

He immediately released looking horrified. "Sorry. My bad." He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

Kat was the next to hug her. "Next time. Don't play martyr. It was an incredibly stupidly brave move." She chuckled.

Riley weakly laughed. "Thanks Kat."

Kat smirked as she pulled away. "And we are now cure buddies." She grinned. "Matching hair and all." She teased, toying with Riley's hair.

Riley smirked. "Who's a marty now?" She softly chuckled, smirking at Kat.

"I couldn't let you have all the fun. Also you better be nice to me. I just helped save your life." She teased. "And will do your hair until you can do it if your nice to me." She poked Riley in the shoulder. "Because if not ya got lexa and she's got the sharp objects." She remarked with a smug grin.

"How do I know you won't have sharp objects?" Riley softly teased, weakly poking Kat.

"Okay let me put it this way. She's likely to chop your hair off until your better whereas I will only chop off a little if I deem it necessary." She smirked, putting an arm around Riley.

Lexa snorted. "Excuse me?" She laughed, leaning against the doorway.

"Admit it. You'd take the logical route." Kat smirked.

"Alright we can all bother Riley later. For now she needs to be examined and allowed to rest." Taylor chuckled. "So out. Y'all may come in when they call the rebels." She remarked.

"Casey is gonna freak." Riley chuckled, trying to reach for Kat's blue hair.

Kat smirked and got up. "You can play with it later. When we watch movies." She teased. She turned around in the doorway. "And of course he'll freak." She smirked. "Because we're now even more drop dead gorgeous." She remarked with a smirk before following the others down the hall.

Riley was softly chuckling as Taylor started examining her.

* * *

Riley grinned as focused on holding the crystal that seemed to pulse even brighter to her now. Or maybe that was still her high from being cured. Kat was on the bed next to her grinning madly like a kid in a candy store. Nine was leaning against the wall as Taylor perched on the desk. Lexa leaning against the desk next to her. Malcolm was leaning against the dresser watching the crystal expectantly.

"Come in rebels." She called. Worried for a minute. They always replied quickly but it'd been several minutes. "Someone answer me soon before I send Calvary." Riley pressed, trying to keep the worry out of her voice.

"This is Cêpan speaking. Who am I talking too?" A sigh of relief echoed through the room as Emma's voice came out of the crystal.

"Thank the elders. It's Nine speaking, Cêpan. What gives?" Riley asked curiously.

"Really bad time to be talking. Please tell me you bring good news of the cure or I'm gonna have to go back to helping." Emma worriedly spoke.

Nine paled. "What's happening Cêpan?" He asked.

"What isn't? Seizures, strokes, fevers, projectile vomiting, you name it was have it. All in the cured population solely." She sighed.

Malcolm looked like he was calculating in his head. "Is Pittacus with you?" He asked suddenly.

"Yeah he's with the others though." Emma remarked.

"Tell him to get me as much loralite dust as possible. We just found the cure." He quickly explained.

"Taylor and I will get all the saline and hypodermic needles and be ready to pass off." He replied before he and Taylor rushes out.

"Just focus on keeping people alive. Go get Pittacus and send him this way with loralite pronto." She replied simply.

"Good luck. Cêpan out." Emma remarked as Riley dropped the crystal.

"I woke up to the world falling apart didn't I?" She asked sarcastically.

Nine shook his head. "The world is always falling apart. But this is fixable. Don't worry. It'll all work out." He reassured, walking over to put a hand on her.

"What if people die before they get the cure?" Riley frowned.

Kat hugged Riley. "Then we fight in their name. We do not surrender and we do not give up. Because then they will have died in vain." She argued. "Which means you are gonna get back into fighting shape and we are gonna give em hell. And once we are all ready, including you, we will take this Academy from them. See how they like their home being raided." She grinned as she backed away.

"Your already plotting aren't you?" Riley smirked, leaning back against her pillows.

"Well I do have lots of time to study the Academy up close and personal." She grinned. "can't just laze around all day. Unlike others." She teased, nudging Riley.

Riley feigned offense. "Well excuse me. I've been trying to stay alive." She remarked.

"Well now you gotta get off your laurels and back to work." She smirked.

"Maybe if you behave Taylor will remove that feeding tube." She teasingly suggested. Riley looked down at the feeding tube in alarm and surprise. It was gonna be a long road to recovery wasn't it? Even by Loric standards she had a feeling. But the prize at the end was so rewarding.


End file.
